‘There is a dark side:’ Ozempic may not be the solution

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — With many celebrities speaking out about Ozempic and other similar weight loss drugs — and Nestle just announcing the launch of food products that cater to those taking them, it looks like the trend is here to stay.

“There is no magic bullet in the treatment of obesity it is a chronic disease which means there is no one-time done deal for this,” says Dr. Dilendra Weerasinghe, director of bariatric surgery with Rochester Regional Health.

He says these injectable weight loss drugs come with a list of side effects including, gastric issues which can be permanent, nausea, vomiting, loss of around 40% of muscle mass, and potential for Osteoporosis.

“This has been marketed as the panaceal treatment,” Weerasinghe said, “I actually don’t think that’s accurate at all.”

He says patients tend to experience rapid weight gain after stopping the medication, citing research. He also notes patients tend to lose less weight after weight loss surgery if they’re on something like Ozempic.

“If I would expect someone to lose for example 100 pounds — with Ozempic if they’ve lost 25 pounds they would only lose 75., to make up that 100,” Weerasinghe said.

He tells News 8 obesity is not a choice and people don’t seek other treatment options because of the stigma that comes with it.

“There is a huge bias associated with someone wanting to seek surgery as an option to improve health because the bias associated with obesity,” he says.

The doctor believes these drugs may be the right solution sometimes, but not everyone who wants to be on them necessarily should.

No Byline Policy

Editorial Guidelines

Corrections Policy

Source