Weight loss used to mean diets and gym memberships; now it’s about prescriptions and injections. If you scroll for five minutes on TikTok, you’ll likely see a new body ideal, often framed as “wellness.” Unrealistic body standards aren’t a new topic of discussion, especially in the media. However, the use of pharmaceuticals to achieve the “perfect figure” is a relatively new phenomenon, the most notable being Semaglutide, or more commonly known as Ozempic.
Ozempic is a drug created by pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk with the intention of treating type 2 diabetes. It was approved by the FDA for this use in 2017. Three years later, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, there were many changes in the pharmaceutical industry, as they searched for a vaccine. Companies grew their Research and Development teams during the pandemic, but the falling profits and rising costs after COVID-19 ended created the perfect environment for Ozempic: Companies were looking to get more out of what they already had, a “do more with less” mindset. Semaglutide was approved for weight-loss use by the FDA in 2021. Novo Nordisk created a new Semaglutide product with many of the same properties of Ozempic, but under the name of Wegovy. The drugs differ in their dosage and target outcomes, but are both taken by injection.
Semaglutide mimics hormones in your body in order to control blood sugar and reduce glucagon. This also slows stomach emptying, making you feel fuller. This is what leads to significant weight loss in users. Essentially, when used for weight loss purposes, the drug suppresses the natural human drive to eat.
There is always suspicion when it comes to pharmaceutical innovation. For example, people were initially skeptical of Penicillin, “The Miracle Drug,” when it first came out. There were early toxicity and allergy concerns, and to this day, there are still contrasting medical opinions about the drug. However, it is still considered one of the most famous and effective drugs in the pharmaceutical industry. Semaglutide, when used for weight loss, has not received the same response. There is a lot of judgment surrounding the use of Ozempic or Wegovy. When a celebrity debuts a visible amount of weight loss, the media buzzes with conjectures. This goes to say that there isn’t a positive connotation associated with Ozempic.
Beyond the public’s anger surrounding the drug is a new standard when it comes to body image. Society is getting skinnier, and not just celebrities. Ozempic, Wegovy, or other Semaglutide “dupes” are prominent among ordinary adults now, as well. The drug is reshaping the population–literally making people smaller–and changing beauty standards. B-CC junior Maudie Greene, when asked if she believes we are going through a significant change in physical expectations, said, “I think we’re always going through a change.” Many people feel the need to keep up with the newest beauty trends, which can be exhausting and detrimental to self-perception. Wren Stout, a junior at B-CC, states, “I have definitely seen body standards affect confidence, especially among students. It just lowers people’s confidence. Comparison is the death of joy, you know?” Unattainable standards can lead to intense comparison among young people who spend a lot of time on social media. Many people frame these new standards as “healthy,” when they may just be the opposite. This kind of health misinformation is what encourages eating disorders and body dysmorphia, especially among impressionable teens.
All in all, the use of Semaglutide for weight loss represents more than a medical breakthrough or a pharmaceutical controversy; it reflects a cultural shift in how society views beauty and health. Perhaps, in the future, Ozempic will be viewed as its own “miracle drug.” For now, it is just a prime example of what society is willing to normalize in the pursuit of an ideal.
