A spokesperson for the US Food and Drug Administration said Ozempic was approved only to treat people suffering from diabetes. “Any use of Ozempic outside of the above would be considered an ‘off-label’ use,” the spokesperson said.
“Obesity is just as much a disease state as diabetes, but there are fewer effective medications to treat obesity than are available to treat diabetes, so comparisons of who needs Ozempic more can be counterproductive,” she said. , which treats obesity but not diabetes, are also not included under most plans, despite the National Institutes of Health estimating obesity to be the second-largest cause of preventable deaths in the country, after tobacco.Data shows Ozempic is leading a weight loss drug market worth $2bn . One report said US demand for the drug reached a high in February 2023, when in one week alone, doctors filled 373,000 prescriptions, an increase of 111 per cent from 2022.
Experts say social media helps drive the demand, with famous people including Elon Musk and comedian Mindy Kaling talking about using it. At this year’s Oscars, host Jimmy Kimmel remarked to guests: “Everybody looks great.”Kim Kardashian is said to have used Ozempic, though she has never admitted to doing so. In May 2022, she boasted of losing 16lbs to fit into a tight-fitting dress that belonged to Marilyn Monroe, which she wore to the Met Gala in New York.