Doctors raise concerns over diabetes medication popular for weight loss
A commonly prescribed diabetes medication has now become popular for its weight loss effects. It's called Ozempic but many are concerned about the long-term effects of the drug if the patient is not diabetic.
The injectable drug works by stimulating hormones to curb hunger and appetite. Medical experts we spoke with say the drug is safe to use for medical weight loss but not everyone should be taking it.
"Obesity is a chronic, relapsing progressive disease. If you stop the medication, that five or ten pounds is going to come back because it's setting an off balance that is already going on in your body and fixing that. So if you take that away, is it really worth for five pounds weight loss to be on that medication forever? No, it's not. And there is a stock and supply issue with the medication right now so that's unfortunate," said Rachel Millard, director of the Center of Weight Management at Desert Regional Medical Center.
