Fitness expert Jillian Michaels has slammed weight-loss drug Ozempic after revealing she has persuaded multiple friends to quit the drug she claims makes people feel “bad”.
The 48-year-old celebrity trainer, known for her fit and slim figure, has now spoken out about the drug hailed as a weight loss panacea.
In an interview with People magazine, Jillian explained that Ozempic is a prescription drug used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes and should be avoided at all costs.
The strength coach added that she had persuaded several of her friends to give up the drug because its effects “wouldn't last”.
Fitness expert Jillian Michaels slams diet drug Ozempic after revealing she's talked multiple friends off the drug
Ozempic, a type 2 diabetes treatment, is used off-label as a weight loss drug (stock image)
She revealed that she had “taken at least eight” friends from Ozempic, before pointing out that her loved one had serious side effects while taking the drug.
“They started palpitations, they got nauseous, they felt bad. They felt bad, and that prompted them to reverse their type 2 diabetes,” she says.
Ozempic is a drug that has skyrocketed because of its ability to help you lose weight.
Inject once a week in the thigh, stomach, or arm. Although it is suitable for people with obesity or type 2 diabetes, it is often used as a weight loss drug.
Gillian stresses that she doesn't like the drug, noting that you run the risk of regaining the weight once you stop taking it.
People who use Ozempic “get nothing” because of the “rebound effect,” she explained.
‘You go off drugs in a year and go all the way back. You have learned nothing. You don't build any stamina or stamina. You haven't learned how to eat healthy,” she told PEOPLE.
A fitness trainer has warned people about research on the drug, explaining that the results “will not last”.
Instead of self-injecting the drug, Jillian recommends that those looking to lose weight start walking 10,000 steps a day and remove processed sugars and flours from their diets.
According to Ozempic.com, side effects of the drug include: nausea, diarrhea, stomach (abdominal) pain, vomiting, and constipation.
Both Ozempic and its sister drug Wegovy have been hailed as obesity panacea, capable of eliminating fat within weeks.
Ozempic was first approved by the FDA in 2017 as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, and Wegovy was approved by the FDA in 2021 as a weight management treatment.
The drug has taken the world by storm since its inception, with celebrities and patients alike raving about its weight-loss abilities.
The strength coach added that she convinced several of her friends to give up the drug because its effects “wouldn't last long”
Influencer Remi Bader details how she ‘doubled her weight' and battled binge eating again after stopping ‘trendy' new diet pill
Infused into the stomach, thighs or arms, it helps curb a person's appetite – making it an easy and quick way to lose weight.
Ozempic has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, which means its use as a weight loss drug is off-label.
The total cost of the treatment is about $950 per month, but since the weight loss isn't covered by the label, it's unlikely that insurance will cover the cost.
Despite its price, the treatment has become so popular that it led the FDA to add both Ozempic and Wegovy to its drug shortage list, making it harder for those battling diabetes to access the treatment.
Everyone from Hollywood stars to tech moguls is turning to injectables to stay slim, with Elon Musk (coming August 2022) crediting the drug for his recent weight loss in October
However, the fitness trainer is not the first to criticize the drug.
TikTok star Remi Bader, 27, has been transparent about her use of the drug, detailing how she “doubled her weight” and battled binge eating after stopping treatment.
In an interview with Amanda Hirsch's Not Skinny, Not Fat podcast, she described having difficulty stopping medication after her doctor directed her to start it for “real health issues.”
Budd, who sought treatment for bulimia last year, claims her binge eating “got worse” after she stopped taking the diabetes drug Ozempic.
While it has been criticized, many celebrities have also raved about the drug, with tech mogul Elon Musk crediting his body transformation to the magic fat-burning bullet and actor Jeremy Clarkson also claiming he used the drug .
With so many shortages of the drug, celebrities are spending as much as $1,500 a month on cellulite, making it nearly impossible for those individuals to get the treatment they desperately need.
