I don’t know about you, but these days more of my friends are taking Ozempic for weight loss (or a generic equivalent) than aren’t.
We don’t have any long-term studies at this point, but all of the ones that have come out point not only to the use of the medication to lose weight being safe, but that it has enormous health benefits, too.
Some researchers are wanting to take a step back, though, and at least admit that those studies are funded by companies that have a vested interest in those medications continuing to sell.
An editorial published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice points out just that – the companies funding the research are the same ones making cash hand over fist off their popularity.
This is, of course, a pretty big conflict of interest.
Other studies have found that “clinical trials sponsored by pharmaceutical companies are more likely to yield favorable results for company products than independent trials.”
Dubbed “sponsorship bias,” it leads to both favorable academic papers and positive perception in the media and public.
Between the positive press and the doctors and influencers getting paid to push the product, it’s no wonder some are wondering how to find out whether the product is safe or productive at all?
The researchers found that although nearly 75% of people taking semaglutides experience nausea, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal upset, this side effect is rarely discussed.
They encourage organizations like the National Institutes of Health and the FDA fund studies of their own, independent of the companies that own the product.
They also think social media posts about the medication should be accompanied by accurate health information.
The cost of the medication itself, which isn’t typically covered by insurance when used solely for weight loss, is another red flag, according to researchers.
The high price tag could make the medication hard or impossible to access for underserved communities, regardless of their need.
There are others, though, who support GLP-1s wholeheartedly and believe the good they’re doing when it comes to public health outweigh any perceived drawbacks.
“We believe that the potential risk factors and uncertainties of GLP-1 receptor [medication] and other pharmaceutical options should render lifestyle interventions as the frontline treatment, while pharmaceutical interventions should be provided on a case-by-case basis for patients for whom lifestyle changes do not produce lasting results.”
Whether or not you want to pay for and take these medications is ultimately up to you, at least for now.
You’ll have to weigh the risks against the benefits for yourself.
If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read a story that reveals Earth’s priciest precious metal isn’t gold or platinum and costs over $10,000 an ounce!
