[imagesource:rawpixel]

‘Ozempic’s weight loss miracle’ has been doing the viral rounds on social media recently, with everyone from Oprah to Sharon Osbourne and Elon Musk apparently on the new ‘wonder drug’.

More and more South Africans are now eyeing Ozempic to lose weight. After all, if it works for Oprah, it has to be legit, right?

Ozempic is a once-weekly injectable medication formulated to help adults with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar. Although not officially a weight loss drug, research suggests that people who take semaglutide – the active compound in Ozempic – may lose ‘modest amounts of weight’ while on the medication.

It helps improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes and is proven to lower hemoglobin A1C, a measure of blood glucose over time, according to research cited on Ozempic’s site. It also helps adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease lower their risk for cardiovascular events like stroke or heart attack.

In other words, the benefits of Ozempic include 5% to 20% body weight loss, reduced waist circumference, improved blood sugar levels, improved blood pressure, and improved cholesterol levels.

Even though Ozempic is not FDA-approved for weight loss, it seems to be a hit. However, Ozempic isn’t safe for everyone. According to the company, people with the following conditions should avoid using Ozempic: pancreatitis, type 1 diabetes, if under 18 years of age, pregnant or breastfeeding, diabetic retinopathy, problems with the pancreas or kidneys, family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2), an endocrine system condition.

Despite this, the fact remains that it is not a weight loss drug, per se. Ozempic works by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone. As those hormone levels rise, the molecules go to your brain, telling you that you’re full. It also slows digestion by increasing the time it takes for food to leave the body.

On top of this, Discovery also does not cover diabetes medication for weight loss. Making the cost of this supposed wonder drug even more concerning is the recent revelation that Ozempic could be “profitably produced for less than R94 a month, despite maker Novo Nordisk A/S charging almost R18,000”, as per a recent Fortune article.

So if Ozempic doesn’t really make you ‘lose weight’, but rather ‘fools’ you into thinking you are full, all it is giving us is the ‘placebo effect’. Studies have also shown that while taking semaglutide may help you lose weight while you are on the drug, most people will regain much of that weight if they discontinue using it. You can’t inject Ozempic into your body for the rest of your life.

Medications like Ozempic are designed to be taken long-term as they are supposed to be chronic medications for the treatment of chronic conditions (both diabetes and obesity).

Thankfully, there are alternative options for South Africans.

Compare Ozempic to proven weight loss diets like The Renewal Institute Diet (RID), which specifically targets and mobilises undesired fat reserves built up over the years, providing a lifestyle-targetted approach to sustained weight loss.

Should you wish to lose excess weight and stubborn fat – especially around bra bulges, chins and waistlines – then you might want to consider doing the RID, which is a much healthier and sustainable alternative to Ozempic.

Unlike Ozempic, which you can sommer buy on Takealot, Skin Renewal’s RID is administered with care and intention by medical doctors and registered nurses.

RID is a cutting-edge, forward-thinking weight loss and fat loss solution incorporating the latest medical advancements and experience gained from over 12 years in the wellness field. RID has been specifically designed and developed to help mobilise the abnormal fat stores in the body, which have accumulated over time.

Every patient begins their journey with a medical consultation led by a Skin Renewal doctor. In addition, they are provided with lifestyle and health coaching, coupled with one-on-one monitoring sessions conducted by a registered nurse serving as a health coach, scheduled bi-weekly. Recognising each individual’s unique challenges, the team of doctors and health coaches possess the expertise to adapt the program accordingly. They can integrate specialised support treatments when patients present additional weight loss hurdles, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or various inflammatory conditions.

Every patient will learn very important lifestyle information in order to empower them to modify their lifestyle so that their weight and fat loss results can be maintained long-term. Patients will be educated on the following:

• The Pillars of Health
• Sleep optimization. Insufficient restorative deep sleep causes weight gain and may interfere with fat loss efforts.
• Gut restoration. Healthy digestive function will assist with fat loss and help prevent future weight gain.
• Stress Management. Cortisol can cause weight gain and can become an obstacle to fat loss.
• Healthy nutrition. Healthy, nutrient-dense foods will provide optimal nutrition and lower calorie intake.
• Healthy moderate exercise. Regular exercise will assist with weight loss and weight management.
• Detoxification. Toxins and excess hormones (especially oestrogen) are released during fat loss and it is essential to assist detoxification processes.
• Reducing inflammation. High levels of inflammation raise insulin levels, worsen insulin resistance, and lead to weight gain. All the above factors need to be addressed for fat loss to be healthy, successful, and lasting.

This dietary approach paves the way for a successful fat-loss journey when paired with supplements, hCG injections, and essential lifestyle coaching. These are the results of one dedicated patient over a month:

Patients who sign up for the RID program, benefit from the holistic offering of the Renewal Institute as medical doctors and registered nurses will assist them on their weight and fat loss journey to ensure that optimal results are achieved.

This means it’s less a case of ‘self-medicating’ on an unapproved weight-loss drug that is far too easily accessible at inflated prices, and more a wholesome, thorough treatment of the root cause to look and feel your best, for the long term as well.

Weight loss should be about more than just shedding a few extra kilos in a short amount of time and rather become a lifestyle, where every day you’re putting in the work to become a better you.

[source:forbes&people&skinrenewal]