It's 2024, and we're in an age of weight loss drugs. Slimmed-down Kardashians. Questionable celebrity statements on losing weight. And viral diet trends like TikTok’s 'oatzempic' method.
And while we'd like to think the dieting landscape has changed dramatically, it makes you wonder: Have we really come a long way? Or has diet culture just been somewhat... re-packaged?
Because 'oatzempic' feels a lot like the Special K diet, rebranded. Or the infamous 'skinny tea' craze.
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For the uninitiated, influencers on social media are touting the promise that replacing meals with 'oatzempic' — a drink of oats mixed with water works as a weight loss tool, much like semaglutide.
As Morrison shared with Mamamia, at the end of the day experts really want people to see the red flags when it comes to online trends.
"Who is it being promoted by? Is that a trusted source or is it just Joe Blow? Does this actually have a stop or start time? Are there any red flags around challenges and the wording that they're using? Is the thing that you're consuming actually enjoyable? Can you see yourself implementing that change long-term? And is it actually impacting your relationship with yourself or food or are you cutting out multiple food groups?"
"They're the big things that I would really be questioning each day because at the end of the day, although looking at each of the ingredients, there's nothing wrong with them at an individual level. But when you're looking at a holistic big picture, when you take a step back, there are some things that play which can be quite damaging to many people."
Steph added, "That’s why I’m so passionate about speaking up and voicing the dark side of these fad diets. I questioned whether to address this trend on TikTok because honestly, I didn’t want to give it the light of day, but I saw so many videos promoting the false 'benefits' of this diet and I had to speak up. Being healthy and enjoying your food can co-exist."
"At KIC, we’re all about helping people build a sustainable healthy lifestyle. 'Oatzempic' is not sustainable, and it’s not healthy. It’s a hard no from me."
It's 2024. Why are we still stuck here?
What do you think of the above trend? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
Feature image: Canva.
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