Canadians are taking Ozempic, but stigma around weight stops them talking about it – CBC

Diabetes medication Ozempic can be prescribed off label for weight loss, but experts warn it’s not a quick fix

Jun 21, 2023

The shame and stigma attached to body size and obesity has crept into the use of weight-loss medications like Ozempic, says a woman who has struggled with her weight for years.

“People have very strong opinions about people who aren’t able to lose weight … [they] just think people that are overweight are lazy and not trying to do anything,” said Edmonton woman Raegan Sather.

Sather has tried several things to lose weight over the last decade, from working out with a personal trainer to putting herself on strict diets. But she only got the results she wanted when she started taking Ozempic last summer.

“Don’t think that people on this drug haven’t tried everything else to do that. This is just a really great tool to help us,” she told The Current’s Matt Galloway.

Ozempic, the brand name for the generic drug Semaglutide, is officially used to treat diabetes. It imitates a hormone that promotes insulin production, but became popular among celebrities and social media influencers for its other ability: managing appetite. It can be prescribed off label for weight loss in Canada — though experts have warned it’s not a quick fix.