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It seems that a lot of celebs are not privy to the journey of radical self-acceptance and body-positive affirmation.

I guess it becomes almost impossible in the face of the age-old Hollywood machine of optimising appearances at any cost, the head of which is still very much raised and peering judgmentally.

You don’t get to look ‘normal’ if you’re an A-lister.

That’s why many of them are turning to what has been dubbed “the worst-kept secret in Hollywood” – an injectable semaglutide drug under the brand name Ozempic – especially given that often they do not even require the drug for its intended use, notes Variety.

It’s an insulin-regulating drug used to treat pre-diabetes, made by Danish big pharma Novo Nordisk. But since its primary side effect is dramatic weight loss, folks who don’t even really need it are buying it and shedding their extra bits.

Hollywood nutritionist Matt Mahowald tells Variety that the chief benefits of the injections are “moderating and pulling back insulin secretion, and slowing down your stomach from emptying. It promotes satiation from food.”

It basically makes you feel fuller for longer so that you eat less. Cool. Already sounds healthy.

The drug is all the rage, having made international headlines three months ago after going viral on TikTok with the hashtags #ozempicweightloss, #OzempicJourney, and #Ozempic garnering millions of views:

@madisonpeoples_1 173.3 > 122 ! 1 year on Ozempic! #ozempic #ozempicweightloss #glp1 #weightloss ♬ Lady Gaga Paparazzivmaperformance – ladygaga

Much of Los Angeles has since caught on to the trend:

One top powerbroker told Variety that half of her call sheet last week was full of friends and clients wanting to discuss the risks of Ozempic, which has claimed devotees from every corner of the industry.

Moguls, reality starlets, veteran film producers and, of course, actors are quietly singing the drug’s praises on Signal, the encrypted messaging app mostly used for confidential conversations. Hair, makeup and styling teams for celebrities have come to accept the injections as part of grooming rituals ahead of major events.

As you may well have gathered, this drug is not cheap.

Mahowald said that if you buy an Ozempic pen from a pharmacist, it’ll cost you $1 200 to $1 500 per month – roughly R21 000 and R26 000.

A cheaper and more wholesome approach might be to follow body-positive influencers on social media and start getting used to the idea that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, all of which are beautiful and worthy of love and attention.

Especially considering that there are people who actually need the drug for their real health issues, which means A-listers and influencers hoarding the pens leave them in the lurch:

More concerning, according to numerous reports, is that an overwhelming demand is leaving those who need the injections grappling with a reduced supply.

A second version of semaglutide called Wegovy, which specifically targets obesity, is also making the rounds and seems to be scarcely available.

Dr Zhaoping Li, chief of clinical nutrition at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, also mentioned that there are still a lot of questions that have not been answered about Ozempic.

Plus, like any miracle weight loss drug, there is warranted scepticism about its long-term use.

It often just comes down to what many are too loathe to hear: lifestyle, activity, the right eating, and stress management are the best weight loss methods, per Dr Li.

[source:variety]