Healthy sized people are using Ozempic to get ‘beach body ready’ – but there are risks they need to know about

With Ozempic now available to buy at high street chemists, doctors are warning weight-loss injections should not be abused in an attempt to get ‘beach body ready’. Olivia Petter looks at how people are increasingly turning to the drug for lifestyle reasons and lays out the side effects and dangers

Ozempic abuse among healthy sized people who want to lose weight for lifestyle reasons is a growing trend. (iStock)

It was ironic that the confession came midway through dinner. “I’ve started taking Ozempic,” my friend whispered in between small mouthfuls of the Thai green curry I’d just made for us. “What made you decide to do that?” I asked, knowing the answer. She smiled and explained summer was coming up, she wanted to slim down ahead of her holiday, and dieting had never worked for her. Besides, as she put it: “It was just so easy to get it that it seemed daft not to.” This friend is a size 10. 

Semaglutide, which is the active ingredient sold in various forms under different brand names including Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, was initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes.

By increasing the amount of insulin that’s released in the body, the once-weekly injection successfully lowers high blood sugar and suppresses the amount of glucose produced in the liver, both of which can reduce your appetite and slow the movement of food in your gut. This means you stay fuller for longer, so eat less and watch the pounds fall off.