Yet semaglutides, including Ozempic, come with side effects—medical and even social and psychological as well. Fatphobia has plagued our culture for decades, and poor body image can push people to these medications as a quick fix for weight loss, despite the negative side effects they may bring.

This article aims to shed light on the effects of these drugs to allow readers to make informed choices about taking Ozempic or other semaglutides.

Semaglutides are a class of medications that mimic a natural hormone in the body called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1). This hormone is released from the gut after eating and helps regulate blood sugar by stimulating insulin production, reducing glucose output from the liver, and signaling to the brain that you’re full. In medical form, semaglutide is a synthetic version of GLP-1, engineered to last longer in the body and provide stronger, more sustained effects. It helps lower blood sugar, reduce appetite, and promote weight loss.

Ozempic is a brand name for semaglutide, developed by the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. It was originally created to treat type 2 diabetes by helping regulate blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity.

Ozempic is taken as a once-weekly injection, usually administered in the thigh, abdomen, or upper arm.

While Ozempic was originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, one of its notable side effects is weight loss. Because of this, many healthcare providers now prescribe Ozempic “off-label” for weight management, even though it is not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for weight loss. The lower-dose formulation can still suppress appetite and lead to significant reductions in body weight, particularly in patients with prediabetes or insulin resistance.

Wegovy is another brand name for semaglutide, also made by Novo Nordisk, but it’s specifically approved for chronic weight management. The US FDA approved Wegovy in 2021, making it the first weight loss drug of its kind in nearly a decade.

Both Wegovy and Ozempic contain the same active ingredient, semaglutide, but Wegovy is prescribed at higher doses and designed for people who are overweight or obese.

However, Ozempic is often covered by insurance, whereas Wegovy typically is not. This is why Ozempic is widely used by those seeking weight loss, despite not being approved, though Wegovy is considered a valid alternative.

Patrick Sweeny, professor of molecular and integrative physiology at the University of Illinois, studies the pathways and processes in the brain responsible for governing eating and the sense of fullness, and how these pathways are altered in conditions such as obesity. In an interview with News Bureau Biomedical Sciences Editor Liz Ahlberg Touchstone, Sweeny highlights that the GLP-1 receptor is expressed throughout the brain in many different regions. As such, the effects of semaglutide-based medications such as Ozempic are various.

Effects range from stomach aches, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, bloating, constipation, and appetite loss to much more serious side effects like irregular heart rhythms, compromised vision, stomach paralysis, kidney issues, gallbladder issues, and so forth.

Additionally, as Professor Sweeny points out, the medication may also have long-term side effects that are still currently being researched. With testimonies about Ozempic citing that users experience serious issues such as gallbladder problems, acute kidney injury, and thyroid tumors, the medication’s more serious side effects give reason for more thorough investigation and consultation before use.

Some users have experienced gallstones and acute gallbladder disease, which led to gallbladder removal, according to JAMA Internal Medicine. Other cases reported kidney injuries and/or failure. Although a majority of these were users with preexisting kidney conditions, it is worth noting that the kidney fatalities were, for the most part, due to dehydration and reduced kidney function, a direct effect of semaglutide-based medications such as Ozempic. Fortunately, however, the more serious side effects are much less common.

Milder side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation, are quite prominent among Ozempic users. Data from Healthline shows that 53.3 percent of semaglutide-based medication users experience nausea, 34.9 percent experience diarrhea, 30.9 percent experience constipation, and 30.3 percent experience vomiting.

Patients on Ozempic have been found to experience more than just medical complications. Use of the weekly injected medication has had a significant psychological impact on users of the drug.

While Ozempic is praised as a miracle drug for its quick results, relying on such heavy-handed tactics is usually born from feelings of shame and low self-esteem. As such, it can reinforce a person’s unhealthy views of their body and worth.

The emotional toll of the various side effects is also a key factor to consider. Desperate to shed weight, Ozempic users try to endure a variety of side effects, including constant nausea, fatigue, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal ailments. This results in constant mood dampening and frequently leads to a lower quality of life.

There’s also the dependency risk. Bariatric surgeon Marc Bessler, MD, emphasizes how Ozempic, when taken for weight loss, requires a lifelong commitment. This is because there are circuits within the brain with a sense of a person’s body weight “set point.” Since the main way Ozempic aids in weight loss is by curbing the appetite and killing cravings, once the medication is stopped or paused, patients find themselves with a more than healthy appetite, the body/brain’s attempt to return to its body weight “set point.” Thus, the chances of weight rebound after coming off Ozempic are almost certain. This results in users torturing themselves by prolonging the drug usage and enduring the side effects while trying to delay the inevitable.

This can also lead to “weight cycling,” a condition where weight is lost and gained in repeated frequent cycles. And, although potentially harmful in itself, it can prove disastrous to individuals with eating disorders or at risk for an eating disorder.

However, Dr. Bessler does point out that semaglutide-based medications such as Ozempic do have one major advantage: helping shift societal perceptions in understanding obesity as a disease. According to Columbia Surgery, the number of individuals using Ozempic for weight loss purposes is in the millions, thus indicating a societal shift toward seeking medical help for obesity and extreme weight conditions, rather than just chalking it up to a problem of discipline and blaming oneself.

Dr. Bessler, during an interview for Columbia Surgery, argued that obesity and other severe weight problems are not something we have control over and thus cannot be overcome by a simple change in lifestyle. He emphasized that, rather, individuals with such conditions are better off seeking medical attention, which, in his opinion, is exactly why Ozempic is turning the public’s perception toward medication, a positive development.

Ozempic and other semaglutide-based medications have undeniably transformed how society approaches weight loss and obesity. For many, these drugs represent long-awaited relief—a medical tool that finally works where diets and discipline alone have failed. Yet, their rapid rise also raises critical questions about dependency, side effects, and the broader cultural obsession with thinness.

The truth lies somewhere in between the miracle and the myth. Ozempic can be life-changing for those who need it, particularly people struggling with diabetes or clinically diagnosed obesity. But it’s not a quick fix, nor is it a solution without consequences. The physical side effects, emotional challenges, and financial costs are all important factors to weigh carefully.