Ozempic: how weight-loss drug turns women into baby-making machines

Whether it was through excited TikTokers or reality TV rumours, Ozempic has gone from everyone's lips to their digestive systems in the past year. Considered a wonder drug, the world of weight loss touted the discovery of a magic pill to shed kilos faster than closing a gym membership.

However, just as quickly, Ozempic has earned a darker reputation, with recent studies finding women on the pill can shed weight, only to pick up baby weight instead.

What is Ozempic?

The chronic medication used to treat diabetes contains an ingredient key to weight loss known as semaglutide.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, the Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes South Africa (Semdsa) said Ozempic belongs to a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), which can stimulate GLP-1 receptors. These are present in the pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, brain and heart and have significant benefits for managing blood sugar in patients with type-2 diabetes.

The weight-loss benefits found in semaglutide have been beneficial for weight loss as GLP-1RAs decrease one’s appetite, hunger and cravings, and can slow the rate at which the stomach empties.

A powerful tool in creating a trend is often celebrities and influencers who take a drug, and among them are Oprah Winfrey, Tracey Morgan, Sharon Osbourne and Kelly Clarkson.

Shedding weight

While a drug like Ozempic has received praise, using it comes with risks.

“Not everyone will lose weight on Ozempic and it is imperative that lifestyle issues are addressed while the person is taking Ozempic,” said the head of the division of endocrinology at Groote Schuur Hospital and the University of Cape Town, Prof Joel Dave.

Studies and research published in Forbes found Ozempic users lose about 15% of their weight during a year of taking the medication.

“Ozempic is US Food and Drug Administration approved for the treatment of diabetes only. It is not a weight-loss medication,” Dr Dave McGowan, a gastroenterologist specialising in obesity medicine and endobariatrics, told Forbes.

“Its sister medication, Wegovy, is specifically approved for the treatment of weight.”

Rise of Ozempic babies

While the evidence is anecdotal and based on quantitative data, there has been an increased interest in the social media phenomenon known as “Ozempic babies”. 

There two main causes are doctors speculating GLP-1s are impacting hormonal birth control, and weight loss often causes a higher fertility and sex drive.

Orally consumed birth controls can become moot due to a slower gastric emptying that alters the absorption of oral contraceptives. When it comes to the weight factor, ob-gyn and clinical professor Dr Mary Jane Minkin said excess weight makes it harder to fall  pregnant.

“Being significantly overweight hinders ovulation,” she said in a recent interview.

However, some patients are aware of this fact and have been reported to seek weight loss in an attempt to increase their chances of getting pregnant.

The nausea experienced when taking Ozempic in pursuit of weight loss also affects other medications, according to Dr Lauren Bishop.

“These medications can slow how the stomach is processing its contents, thus altering how birth control pills are absorbed and processed,” she told parenting magazine The Bump.