Ozempic — a prescription medication patented by Novo Nordisk — has seen skyrocketing popularity in recent months as a slew of celebrities extoll (or condemn) its weigh loss properties. The Type 2 diabetes drug has gained attention for its appetite-suppressing side effects but remains the topic of extensive ethical and medical debate.
Drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro have US approval to treat diabetes but contain the same ingredients as medicines (such as Wegovy and Zepbound) that treat obesity. Doctors can legally prescribe the diabetes drugs off-label for obesity or other conditions and it’s up to insurance companies to decide whether to cover them.
Karan Johar made headlines on Saturday as he addressed weight loss rumours and denied using Ozempic. He joins a lengthy list of celebrities who have found themselves countering such allegations or speaking up about the many perils of using a diabetes drug to rapidly shed extra kilos. Several others — including billionaire businessman Elon Musk and actor Rebel Wilson — have gone the opposite route.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk has admitted to using weight-loss medication in the past. In October 2022 he told an X user that “fasting and Wegovy” were the secrets behind his ‘ripped’ physique.
Rebel Wilson
The popular actor who has previously played several heavyset roles in movies (her character in the Pitch Perfect series was literally called Fat Amy) undertook a ‘year of health’ in 2020. The star revealed that she had briefly tried weight-loss medication following her 'transformation' in order to maintain her new form.
“Someone like me could have a bottomless appetite for sweets, so I think those drugs can be good,” she told Sunday Times during a March 2024 interview.
Amy Schumer
The comedian has admitted to using Ozempic in the past but said she was eventually forced to stop because the drug made her feel “so sick”.
“[I] couldn’t play with my son. I was so skinny and he’s throwing a ball at me and [I couldn’t]. Everyone has been lying saying, ‘Oh smaller portions.’ Like, shut the f—k up. You are on Ozempic or one of those things or you got work done. Just stop. Be real with the people. When I got lipo, I said I got lipo” she had said on “Watch What Happens Live” in June 2023.
Sharon Osbourne
The former reality TV star lost 30 pounds in around four months by using injectable weight-loss drugs. However she told The Talk that the medicine had made her feel “very sick” throughout this time.
“The first couple of months, I just felt nauseous. Every day I felt nauseous, my stomach was upset, whatever,” she recalled.
Stephen Fry
The British actor had tried Ozempic on his doctor’s advice but found the experience harrowing after some time.
“At first, I thought, ‘This is incredible—I don’t feel like eating or drinking alcohol. This is going to be great.’ But I started feeling unwell, and it kept getting worse. I was vomiting four or five times a day and realized, ‘I can’t keep doing this.’ So, that was the end of it,” he recalled in March 2024.
(With inputs from agencies)
