Ozempic. Chances are, you've heard of it.
A medication designed for people with Type 2 diabetes, over the past several months the drug has gained massive traction, with talk of it being prescribed to celebrities for weight loss.
A once-a-week injection, the role of the drug is to balance blood sugar levels, making it an effective solution for long-term weight management for diabetics and obesity.
However, for celebrities, it's seemingly becoming the drug of choice for weight management.
While only a few celebrities have publicly admitted to taking Ozempic (or WeGovy - another popular brand of the drug), others have shared their views on the trend, with some even openly denying taking it.
Recently, comedian Chelsea Handler talked about the drug being used for weight loss in her own Hollywood circles, sharing her experience on the podcast Call Her Daddy.
She opened up about unknowingly being prescribed the drug, and why she decided to step away from it.
Speaking with host Alex Cooper, she shared, "So, my anti-aging doctor just hands it out to anybody. I didn't even know I was on it. She said, 'If you ever want to drop five lbs., this is good.'"
"I came back from a vacation and I injected myself with it. I went to lunch with a girlfriend a few days later, and she was like, 'I'm not really eating anything. I'm so nauseous, I'm on Ozempic,'" she said.
"And I was like, 'I'm kind of nauseous too.' But I had just come back from Spain and was jet-lagged."
After sharing with her friend that she was "on semaglutide", her friend explained that the drug she had named was, in fact, Ozempic.
"I'm not on it anymore. That's too irresponsible," Handler revealed. "I'm not gonna take a diabetic drug. I tried it, and I'm not gonna do that. That's not for me. That's not right for me."
"Everyone is on Ozempic. It's gonna backfire, something bad is gonna happen."
Watch: Psst... here's the viral Mikayla Nogueira TikTok video everyone is talking about. Post continues below.
Then, there's Elon Musk.
The Tesla CEO shared on Twitter last year that the "secret" to his recent weight loss was "fasting" and 'WeGovy”.
Earlier this year, Khloe Kardashian shut down discussions surrounding whether she was on the medication.
Responding to a fan, who wrote: "The fact that she uses diabetic medication to get this skinny is disturbing," the reality star said, "Let’s not discredit my years of working out. I get up 5 days a week at 6am to train. Please stop with your assumptions. I guess new year still means mean people."
Similarly, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards responded to claims she was taking the weight loss drug, writing on Instagram, "I am NOT taking Ozempic. Never have."
Actress Jameela Jamil has also spoken out numerous times about the increased use of Ozempic in Hollywood, as well as the current supply shortages.
On Instagram, she wrote: "I have said what I have said about the potential harm of people using the diabetes medication for weight loss only."
"I fear for everyone in the next few years. Rich people are buying this stuff off prescription for upwards of $1,000. Actual [people with] diabetes are seeing shortages. It's now a mainstream craze in Hollywood."
In the caption, she stated: "I'm seeing people really struggle because of this stuff. It has become the exact uncontrollable wave I thought it would become and I hope that I'm worried for no reason, and that my doctors who have been advising me on this stuff are wrong."
Of course - the popularity of the weight loss drug is not only thanks to the buzz it's received from celebrities. It's all over TikTok, too.
Scroll through the social media platform and you'll find thousands, upon thousands of TikTok videos touting the benefits of the drug. People even share their 'day on a plate' while taking it.
"Encouraging people to lose weight via extreme measures, such as surgery and medication, without also giving them access to psychological treatment and nutritional education is irresponsible and it may not work for everyone."
"It's also important to remember that people who suffer from disordered eating behaviour and eating disorders are so vulnerable to these kinds of 'quick fixes', but they don't help to heal a person's relationship with food. And if they 'fail' to lose weight or gain it back (which 96 per cent of dieters do) then they can end up back in a vicious cycle of self-hatred and disordered eating."
One of the most common queries that arises in the comment section of these viral videos is how to access the drug.
One comment on a viral video reads, "Do you have to fit a criteria to qualify for this? I’m going to my GP [on] Friday to ask if I can be prescribed it."
Another comment reads: "My doctor won't give me a script. She said I need to see a specialist."
The user replies: "Try my weight loss clinic."
Dr Alexander said, "I think people need to realise that there are specific indications for this medication, and just because an influencer suggests it is great for weight loss - does not mean it is for everyone."
"And let's be clear - not all weight loss is good. We are getting into dangerous territory again on social media where the suggestion is that health is defined by weight or BMI alone - and as a GP, I can tell you that is simply not true. I can also tell you that not all weight loss is good or 'healthy.'
As a platform, TikTok thrives off its perceived reliability, accuracy and authenticity. However, the reality is that social media platforms should not be used for health advice. It's crucial for us, as users, to avoid following this kind of advice from people online.
"Please consider that this medication is required by those in the community with complex health issues like type 2 diabetes, PCOS, high blood pressure and they cannot access it right now due to shortages. Please also consider this medication can have side effects," said Dr Alexander.
"For influencers to glamorise a medication that induces weight loss is not helping many of the issues we are seeing on the ground around body image and eating disorders," she concludes.
For help and support for eating disorders, contact the Butterfly Foundation‘s National Support line and online service on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673) or email support@thebutterflyfoundation.org.au.
You can also visit their website, here.
Feature image: Getty; Instagram/@khloekardashian.
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