We tried to get Ozempic

Ozempic might be popular with Hollywood stars, but is it easy to get your hands on for ordinary mortals? We met three doctors via telemedicine services… sometimes exaggerating our weight. 

First attempt  

We stuck to the facts to see if it was possible to get your hands on it, without necessarily being diabetic or overweight. 

Age, weight mentioned and height: 24 years old, about 152 pounds, 5 feet 7 inches (BMI about 23)

Mentioned health conditions: Anxiety and hypothyroidism , symptoms of which may include weight gain

Reason for consultation: Obtain Ozempic to lose ten pounds following rapid weight gain during the pandemic. 

Duration of the consultation: About 14 minutes < /p>

Result: Failed. We cannot be prescribed the treatment since the BMI is below 30 and there are no significant health problems. 

Doctor's advice: Consult a nutritionist, drink water, cut down on junk food and move more. Weight-loss antidepressants were also recommended (because, yes, some depression medications can make you lose weight), an offer the journalist declined so as not to interrupt another treatment for anxiety. 

Doctor quote: “A doctor will prescribe you Ozempic only if you are obese. Otherwise, there are too many health risks compared to the benefits.” However, health professionals have told Metro that the drug can be prescribed without a person being considered obese, provided that their weight has significant negative impacts on their health. physical or mental. 

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Second attempt< /strong> 

< strong>Age, stated weight and height: 24 years old, approximately 174 pounds, 5 feet 6 inches (BMI approximately 28)

Health issues mentioned: Anxiety and hypothyroidism, symptoms of which may include weight gain

Reason for visit: Getting Ozempic for weight loss following a recent rapid weight gain.  

Duration of the consultation: Approximately 34 minutes 

Result : Failure. We cannot be prescribed the treatment since our BMI is 28.09. We are told that to obtain a prescription for Ozempic for weight loss, our BMI must be over 30 or between 27 and 30 if our overweight is combined with certain specific health problems. Hypothyroidism and anxiety are not among them. 

Doctor's advice: Eat well, move more, follow up with doctor and consult a nutritionist.  

Doctor quote: “I think it would be more harmful to you than helping you start this drug. Especially if we think that the majority of people will keep it for the long term [and therefore suffer the side effects for a long time in addition to having to pay the associated costs]. You're young to think you'll have to inject yourself with medicine every week for a long time.” 

In other words, Ozempic appears to be a last-resort medical option for treating 'obesity. 

Third attempt 

We inflated our weight on the scale even more, so that our BMI reached a higher level of obesity. We also pretended to have multiplied the actions to lose weight, without result. 

Age, weightmentioned and height: 22 years approximately 207 pounds and 5 feet 7 inches (BMI approximately 30)

Mentioned health conditions: None

Duration of consultation: About 30 minutes 

Reason for consultation: Getting Ozempic to lose weight. We also mentioned that being overweight was common in our family and that we were unable to lose weight despite several diets and playing two sports. 

Result: Failure. We are told that we cannot be prescribed the treatment since we are in our twenties and that it would mean taking it for a long time without necessity in this case, according to the professional. 

However, many medications require long-term daily intake and the pharmaceutical company's website states that “adverse effects with Wegovy [Ozempic-like treatment] in pediatric patients 12 years of age and older were similar to those reported in adults”.  

Advice from the doctor: “You have to try to lose weight in other ways, knowing that the medication is there and that you will not be allowed to [make your case worse to the point of suffering from] serious health problems.”  

5 observations on the experience 

1) The doctors seemed on their guard when we approached the Ozempic. The proof: we weren't able to get the drug prescribed because we weren't “sick enough” or “too young”.  

2) Two out of three doctors told us asked questions about our mental state, our relationship with food and our self-esteem. As our answers were mostly positive, no psychological follow-up was recommended. 

3) Tampering with data on our weight and height is facilitated by telemedicine. However, in the event of a positive response to the requests, an official weigh-in and pre-treatment blood tests may be required.  

4) One of the three doctors advised us to follow a restrictive diet, although several studies show that this method often ends in failure and that such a diet has negative physical and psychological consequences.  

5) Two out of three doctors told us their criteria for obtaining Ozempic: a BMI of more than 30, or between 27 and 30 if the person has certain health problems. &nbsp ;