{"id":297366,"date":"2025-07-28T02:08:25","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T02:08:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/297366\/"},"modified":"2025-07-28T02:08:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T02:08:25","slug":"ozempic-and-weight-loss-drugs-explained-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/297366\/","title":{"rendered":"Ozempic and weight-loss drugs explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sofia had struggled with her weight since her early teens. A condition that upped fat levels in her blood made diets and exercise regimes futile. Lap-band surgery worked at first, but years later she regained much of the weight. So she didn\u2019t hesitate when Joe Proietto, her doctor and a former board member of the World Obesity Federation, suggested she try Ozempic. \u201cI felt that confidence in going on it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

When Proietto warned she might feel \u201cpretty rotten\u201d to begin with, she thought little of it. On the first night, she gave herself the injection and settled into bed to watch TV. Suddenly, her stomach let out a gurgle. Within hours, she was in the grip of wave after wave of nausea. \u201cI was absolutely as sick as a dog,\u201d she says. \u201cI had diarrhoea and vomiting for seven days straight. And I lost six kilos in one week.\u201d In the second week, she adjusted to the medication. In the past six years, weight-loss drugs have helped her lose 25 kilograms. \u201cIt just quietens your appetite,\u201d she says. \u201cI know people who haven\u2019t been able to cope with the side effects and have stopped taking it but, for me, it was a short-term thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ozempic is part of a new wave of drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, that have evolved from treating diabetes to managing obesity and which are now in wider use for weight loss. Not only have they proven successful in helping people regulate blood-sugar levels and shed kilos (and in reducing weight-related issues such as heart conditions) but there is interest in their potential to treat other maladies, from Alzheimer\u2019s to addiction.<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, the drugs are a hot topic of conversation \u2013 in the space where urban myth, anecdotal evidence and early scientific findings collide. How do you manage dinners where half the guests are barely eating? Do these drugs really \u201ceat\u201d your muscles? What\u2019s \u201cOzempic face\u201d? What are the side effects? What happens if you stop taking them?<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Sonoran Desert in Arizona.Credit: Getty Images <\/p>\n

Where did the drugs come from (and what\u2019s a Gila monster)?<\/p>\n

In the Sonoran Desert, in the south-west of the United States, a poisonous lizard feasts on rodents, birds and other reptiles to pack on fat \u2013 then stops eating for months. In the 1980s, venom from the Gila monster (pronounced \u201chee-lah\u201d) caught the attention of US scientists, who observed it stimulating pancreatic cells harvested from guinea pigs. When they investigated why, they discovered a new peptide, which they named exendin-4.<\/p>\n

As they looked closer, they noticed that exendin-4 was similar to a hormone in humans called GLP-1 \u2013 or glucagon-like peptide 1 \u2013 which regulates insulin, the hormone that controls glucose levels in the body and which causes us to feel full after eating. \u201cI used to tell the students that this hormone is released after a meal and then it does everything except wash the dishes,\u201d says Joe Proietto, a professor emeritus at the University of Melbourne. \u201cIt goes to the pancreas, binds to the receptor on the cells that make insulin and stimulates insulin release … then [it] goes to the stomach and it slows its emptying, making you feel fuller for longer. And then it goes to the brain and suppresses hunger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A study of the venom of the Gila monster has led to a new breed of weight-loss drugs.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n

People with diabetes produce less GLP-1. Until the Gila monster discovery, GLP-1 injected into humans stayed there for only a few minutes. But the peptide carried by the Gila monster lasted several hours. In 2005, US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly used it in the drug Byetta, for type 2 diabetes. \u201cI never imagined this peptide would have clinical importance or be marketed as a drug,\u201d Jean-Pierre Raufman, one of the scientists who discovered the venom\u2019s importance, tells us from Washington DC. \u201cSometimes being lucky is better than being smart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u2018I am very grateful that what started as a \u201cfishing expedition\u201d turned out to be so impactful.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As well as being effective for diabetes, Byetta led to people losing about 5 per cent of their body weight within months. It was proof of concept for Danish company Novo Nordisk to begin work on its own anti-diabetes drugs, which went on to mimic the naturally occurring GLP-1 with even longer-lasting results. (The drugs are called GLP-1 receptor agonists because they bind to and activate the body\u2019s GLP-1 receptor molecules.)<\/p>\n

Raufman was surprised the pharmaceutical industry didn\u2019t catch on sooner to the potential \u201cmarketability\u201d of this new class of diabetes drugs for obesity. \u201cI am very grateful that what started as a \u2018fishing expedition\u2019 turned out to be so impactful,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Today, there are about half a dozen GLP-1 receptor agonists known by their active ingredients. In Novo Nordisk\u2019s latest drugs, this is semaglutide. It\u2019s found in Ozempic, available in Australia since 2019 as a weekly injection on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, along with a handful of other semaglutide drugs, for treating type 2 diabetes. Semaglutide is also in Novo Nordisk\u2019s Wegovy, available since late 2022 for treating obesity, although not on the PBS. Then there\u2019s the Eli Lilly drug, Mounjaro, with the active ingredient tirzepatide, which mimics both GLP-1 and a \u201csibling\u201d hormone called GIP \u2013 a combination that leads to greater appetite suppression.<\/p>\n

The PBS recorded<\/a> 2,397,521 prescriptions of semaglutide in 2023-24, up 60 per cent on the previous year (the figure includes individuals who have filled multiple scripts). In March, this jump prompted the federal Department of Health to send more than 1000 letters to doctors who had prescribed the drug through the PBS for weight loss, reminding them they can\u2019t do this for patients with no history of type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n

Doctors can prescribe Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro \u201coff-label\u201d. To whom? People with a body-mass index of 30 or more (which is considered obese); or with a BMI of 27 or more (25 to 29 is considered overweight) and who have obesity-related complications such as cardiovascular risk. A person\u2019s BMI is their weight divided by their height in metres squared.<\/p>\n

But doctors will take other factors into account too, says Terri-Lynne South, chair of an obesity management group at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners: whether they\u2019ve tried these drugs before, their health literacy, fitness, mental health, any risks of eating disorders and their age. More research is needed into the drugs\u2019 effects on people over 65, she says, and older patients would need a particularly in-depth weighing of pros and cons before going on the drugs. (For one thing, muscle mass is already starting to decrease at that age.)<\/p>\n

Off-label prescriptions don\u2019t have to be reported, so it\u2019s unclear how many Australians are taking the drugs. Without any PBS subsidy, they can be pricey: \u201cpens\u201d of Ozempic cost $133, Wegovy $260 and Mounjaro $330 which, depending on the dose, can be a monthly outlay. \u201cThe people who need these medications the most,\u201d says South, \u201care usually the ones who can afford it least, based on socioeconomic data.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Jen<\/p>\n

Jen lost nearly 30 kilograms on weight-loss drugs.<\/p>\n

Do the drugs work (and what\u2019s food noise)?<\/p>\n

Jen was in her mid-20s when she began putting on weight in what she now recognises as a food addiction. Her best friend owned a restaurant where she learned to like high-end food. \u201cYou go from being a kid who is kind of happy with just what you have, until you understand you can have mushrooms that have been flown over from France and eat them the same day they arrive in the country,\u201d she tells us. \u201cYou procure stuff and do a massive cook-up and really enjoy things with a glass of wine and the music on, and have friends around. It was simple hedonism that got out of control.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over 15 years, she gained almost 100 kilos. She tried exercise and dieting to no lasting effect. When a tumour developed on her leg requiring surgery, doctors referred her to a weight-loss clinic with a team including a dietitian, psychologist, endocrinologist, exercise physiologist and sleep apnoea specialist. They suggested Jen try Ozempic.<\/p>\n

\n

Obesity is believed to be influenced by genetics, which can make it a stubborn challenge.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In 2023, on the first morning after taking the drug, she skipped breakfast without a thought. \u201cUsually by 10 o\u2019clock in the morning, if I\u2019m working from home and I don\u2019t manage to get breakfast straightaway, my stomach is rumbling and I\u2019m dying \u2013 like, I could eat a truck driver\u2019s dinner.\u201d She has since lost nearly 30 kilograms.<\/p>\n

Obesity affects about a third of Australian adults, while another third is classified as overweight. There can be genetic differences between body types, sexes and racial backgrounds, so doctors often use waist circumference as another measure alongside BMI. As for what causes obesity, behaviour and environment play a role, yet between 40 and 70 per cent of obesity<\/a> is believed to be influenced by genetics, which can make it a stubborn challenge.<\/p>\n

\"Joe<\/p>\n

Joe Proietto says treating obesity was \u201cunbelievably frustrating\u201d \u2013 but \u201cnow we\u2019ve got tools\u201d.Credit: Jason South<\/p>\n

Proietto and his colleagues have even found that when people lose just five kilograms, changes to the hormones that control hunger can make them feel hungrier \u2013 for several years. \u201cIt was unbelievably frustrating treating obesity because everybody regained weight before long,\u201d he says. \u201cNow, we\u2019ve got tools \u2013 but we\u2019re still frustrated because of the high cost.\u201d<\/p>\n

The drugs cause weight loss by slowing gastric emptying, the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine. The results have been game-changing. In 2021, Novo Nordisk\u2019s own clinical trials found people who took semaglutide lost 14.9 per cent of their body weight after 68 weeks<\/a>, as compared with a placebo group who lost 2.4 per cent. Clinical trials from Eli Lilly\u2019s Mounjaro found<\/a> it could reduce body weight by 25 per cent in the first year.<\/p>\n

There are flow-on effects: some evidence of the drugs lowering heart attack and stroke risk<\/a>, and reducing kidney disease<\/a>. An Australian study in The Lancet<\/a> that weighed up trials of several GLP-1 agonists (including semaglutide but not tirzepatide) found the drugs reduced the risk of kidney failure by 16 per cent.<\/p>\n

\n

\u2018My friends will say, \u201cIs that all you\u2019re eating?\u201d and I\u2019m like, \u201cYeah.\u201d \u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Colette McCracken, who lives in south-west Sydney, had tried diets, obesity support groups and a gastric sleeve (surgical removal of part of the stomach). She first used Ozempic in 2019 \u2013 and the results went far beyond her expectations. \u201cYou can make good choices because you aren\u2019t so overly hungry,\u201d she says. When McCracken goes out for dinner, she opts only for an entree. \u201cMy friends will say, \u2018Is that all you\u2019re eating?\u2019 and I\u2019m like, \u2018Yeah\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Colette<\/p>\n

Colette McCracken: \u201cYou can make good choices because you aren\u2019t so overly hungry.\u201dCredit: Max Mason-Huber<\/p>\n

Another effect of the drug is it reduces \u201cfood noise\u201d \u2013 constant thoughts about food that might, for example, mean you\u2019re unable to walk into a service station without picking up a bag of chips, or the like. Jen describes the thoughts as relentless and intrusive: What are you going to make for dinner? Maybe you should go to the supermarket? What\u2019s on special this week? When it stopped, she experienced a new sense of calm.<\/p>\n

\n

\u2018One woman who had alcoholic liver disease said, \u201cWhen I taste wine now, it tastes like vinegar.\u201d \u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

How do the drugs silence thoughts? Katherine Samaras, an endocrinologist at St Vincent\u2019s Hospital in Sydney, says it\u2019s likely to be because GLP-1 receptors are also scattered throughout the brain. Researchers are still untangling how the drugs act on the brain more broadly. One area of interest is whether the medication has the potential to treat Alzheimer\u2019s disease after a London study of 200 people showed a semaglutide drug halved brain shrinkage<\/a> in those with the disease and reduced cognitive decline by 18 per cent.<\/p>\n

Addiction is another area of interest. One randomised control study of 127 people found the drugs didn\u2019t reduce heavy alcohol consumption<\/a>. Still, Samaras and her colleagues have patients on the drugs who report reduced interest in alcohol. \u201cOne woman who had alcoholic liver disease said, \u2018When I taste wine now, it tastes like vinegar.\u2019 She was having seven to eight standard drinks a day, minimum.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Katherine<\/p>\n

Katherine Samaras: Finding an individual\u2019s \u201csweet spot\u201d for dosage can help prevent nausea.Credit: Edwina Pickles<\/p>\n

What are the immediate side effects (and what\u2019s Ozempic face)?<\/p>\n

A search on social media brings up anything from \u201csulfur burps\u201d (a rare side effect) to hair loss (which can happen during any rapid weight loss). Jen was anxious about side effects before taking Ozempic. \u201cI was Googling my head off,\u201d she says. \u201cThere was lots of stuff on social media, a lot of noise, and it was hard to get definitive information.\u201d<\/p>\n

The most common side effects of Ozempic are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and constipation. Clinical trials by Novo Nordisk found about 20 per cent of people who take the drug experience<\/a> nausea (although a small study of 150 people who\u2019d taken it for two years<\/a> found the number rose to more than half). The Therapeutic Goods Administration advises that, as of June 25, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea are the common reactions they had received notice of, from 2046 reports. (The TGA encourages people to report even if there is only a very small chance that a drug caused an adverse event.)<\/p>\n

As Proietto puts it: \u201cThere is a huge range of sensitivity to the hormone.\u201d Some people have the lowest dose and can\u2019t even look at food while others have the maximum and it doesn\u2019t work. Tailoring the dose is a process. Says Samaras: \u201cWhat really concerns me is that social media … [is] promoting escalation of the dose when often you don\u2019t need to. By not escalating the dose and finding that individual sweet spot, you can actually mitigate or prevent the nausea.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u2018The body, if you\u2019re crash dieting, will use up fat, but it will also use up fuels in the body like protein and so that\u2019s where people can get muscle wasting.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Experts we spoke with said persisting through initial mild side effects might be necessary, but people shouldn\u2019t be suffering. Doses range between 0.25 and 2 milligrams for Ozempic and 2.4 milligrams for Wegovy. Doses of Mounjaro, which has a different potency, ranges between 2.5 and 15 milligrams. Proietto advises his most sensitive patients to start with a small dose of Ozempic, three clicks of the injection (a milligram is roughly 78 clicks), which he increases by one click a week, depending on the patient\u2019s tolerance. (Colette briefly had slight constipation when her dose increased but has had none since then.)<\/p>\n

What of the ailment dubbed \u2013 mostly on social media \u2013 Ozempic face? Talk of it has coincided with a rise in online searches<\/a> for face fillers and cosmetic surgeons to rectify it. Samaras explains this is not a direct side effect of the drug but rather a consequence of rapid weight loss. \u201cThe body, if you\u2019re crash dieting, will use up fat, but it will also use up fuels in the body like protein and so that\u2019s where people can get muscle wasting or sarcopenia, and when you have that pronounced in the face, you\u2019ll lose muscle in the face.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GP<\/p>\n

GP Terri-Lynne South helps patients pre-empt unpleasant side effects: \u201cIt\u2019s about pulling up at that first sign of feeling full.\u201dCredit: Glenn Hunt <\/p>\n

How should you eat on the drugs?<\/p>\n

General practitioner Terri-Lynne South shows patients a chart of side effects to explain what they could expect before taking the drugs. \u201cIf an individual is not tolerating them, I want them to come back to me and we\u2019ll be looking at, \u2018OK, well, why are you not tolerating them?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

A transition period is common as people change their eating habits to match their now-slower digestion. If they continue to overeat, it can contribute to nausea. South will initially tell people to put half as much as they usually would on their plate, and to take 15 to 30 minutes to eat each meal, even suggesting they set a timer and put down their knife and fork between mouthfuls. \u201cIt\u2019s about pulling up at that first sign of feeling full.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dehydration is one sure way to make nausea worse; so is eating foods high in sugar, carbohydrates and fat,<\/a> which naturally stay in the stomach for longer. \u201cSo you\u2019ve got the drug that causes that delayed emptying, and then if you add in foods that also stay around in the stomach, it\u2019s like a double whammy,\u201d says South.<\/p>\n

Constipation can be exacerbated by poor or unbalanced diets. Fibre and important fats such as oils help maintain bowel movements and prevent blockages. \u201cSome people use the medication in such a way that they don\u2019t eat, and if you don\u2019t have anything going through the intestinal tract, then there\u2019s not going to be a bowel motion,\u201d Samaras explains. \u201cSome people don\u2019t have a balanced diet. They\u2019ve just had a prescription for the medication. As you might see with some of the online pharmacies, there\u2019s no nutritional intervention, which is foundational to the appropriate use of these medications.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u2018I have seen scurvy, which is vitamin C deficiency, when people just don\u2019t eat and their gums start bleeding.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

After days of using Ozempic, Jen thought to herself: You still have to eat but now are you going to do it smart? With a dietician, she developed a meal plan to ensure she eats a sufficient amount of protein to stop muscle wasting (up to a quarter of the weight that people lose can be lean body mass and muscle). Studies have found people who have a high-protein breakfast <\/a>are also less likely to snack later. Jen\u2019s breakfast is usually two boiled eggs with spinach and tomatoes. Most days she has only one other meal such as soup, or poached chicken with vegetables, or a salad with tuna. If she needs a snack, she eats fruit or yoghurt.<\/p>\n

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Two meals a day might work for some, for others it won\u2019t provide a balance between macronutrients (proteins and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Ideally, a daily diet includes 30 grams of fibre, 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (adjusted for the healthy weight being aimed for), five vegetables and two pieces of fruit. Often it\u2019s about reducing fats rather than removing them \u2013 dicing lean beef for a stir-fry, for example, rather than cooking a marbled rib-eye. A lack of vitamin B12 can cause nerve damage and lower your ability to concentrate, a lack of calcium can affect bone density. Samaras refers patients who are new to the drugs for blood tests every three to six months to check their nutrition. \u201cI have seen scurvy, which is vitamin C deficiency, when people just don\u2019t eat and their gums start bleeding.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also gleans whether they should see a psychologist \u2013 \u201cyou have to understand what makes people binge; is it when they\u2019re stressed?\u201d \u2013 and an exercise physiologist. Anyone on a calorie-restrictive diet risks losing muscle mass and bone density. Alongside a diet with protein, resistance training two or three times a week helps offset this risk. Jen is up early most mornings to swim laps at her local pool. \u201cIt\u2019s outdoor and it\u2019s freezing. Let me tell you, my Viking ancestors are proud of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Jen<\/p>\n

Jen at her local pool: \u201cLet me tell you, my Viking ancestors are proud of me.\u201d <\/p>\n

What do we know about long-term side effects?<\/p>\n

A scroll through drug companies\u2019 disclaimers can be enough to raise anyone\u2019s heart rate. (As it happens, all GLP-1 receptor agonists generally increase heart rates by two to three beats a minute<\/a>, which is not enough to cause damage.) The scarier risks<\/a> listed for these drugs include thyroid tumours, pancreatitis (a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas) and vision loss. There\u2019s nothing unusual about drugs flagging potential long-term risks, especially when patient data is limited, says Katherine Samaras. \u201cWe have this conundrum in almost every avenue of medical treatment. If we consider obesity a disease with mortality, comorbidities and life suffering then we need to balance up the risk versus the benefit.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n

\u2018If it does cause pancreatitis, it\u2019s extremely rare.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What of pancreatitis? The TGA has received 358 reports of it since they started recording data on semaglutide in 2019, but whether these cases were induced by the drugs or are coincidental is unclear. The main causes of pancreatitis are wrapped up in common factors associated with weight gain, such as excessive alcohol consumption and gallstones. Novo Nordisk\u2019s two-year clinical trial<\/a> of 3297 people on semaglutide showed nine had mild pancreatitis. Says Joe Proietto: \u201cIf it does cause pancreatitis, it\u2019s extremely rare.\u201d Still, he takes the precaution of starting people with a history of pancreatitis on a lower dose.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the eye condition called diabetic retinopathy that affects up to a third of diabetic Australians 50 or older<\/a>. Novo Nordisk found 3 per cent of people in the two-year trial had subsequent damage to their retina. However, treating diabetes with too big of a dose of insulin is a well-known accelerant of retinopathy. In at least some cases, says Proietto, \u201cIt\u2019s not the Ozempic that\u2019s doing it, it\u2019s the drop in sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, studies have found conflicting evidence for another eye condition \u2013 non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy \u2013 which affects the optic nerve. Boston-based researchers found an 8.9 per cent incidence <\/a>of this disease from studying 16,000 people prescribed semaglutide. Others have trawled a database of 66 million users and found no association<\/a>. The TGA told us it was investigating. \u201cIf a safety signal is confirmed, we will take regulatory action as appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n

What about thyroid cancer? Novo Nordisk flags that semaglutide has caused what are known as C-cell tumours found in thyroid cancer during tests on rodents. In 2022, a study in France concluded there was an association between higher rates of thyroid cancer<\/a> and people who used GLP-1 receptor agonists. Still, there\u2019s no causal link to use of the drug, says Proietto. \u201cAnd you know why? Because they found that monkeys and humans don\u2019t have receptors on them whereas rats do \u2013 our C-cells can\u2019t react to the GLP-1 because a hormone can\u2019t react unless it\u2019s got a receptor to bind to.\u201c<\/p>\n

While it is still early days, some studies<\/a> have suggested that patients at high risk of bowel cancer are not recommended to take GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, although evidence is still inconclusive of the drugs\u2019 exact effect on this group of patients. Proietto says there are other weight loss drugs that don\u2019t come with this concern, including Contrave, Phentermine and Xenical, because they don\u2019t use GLP-1 receptor agonists.<\/p>\n

Given the newness of the drugs, available evidence is still evolving.<\/p>\n

Loading<\/p>\n

What happens when you stop taking the drugs?<\/p>\n

When Jen started on Ozempic in 2023 she would take it for a few months then not be able to buy it again due to widespread shortages at the time. With every interlude, she regained four or five kilograms, had to exercise more and would be back in the ring with her eating habits. \u201cIt\u2019s a constant battle.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a 2021 trial funded by Novo Nordisk, patients regained two-thirds of their prior weight within 12 months of discontinuing their use of semaglutide. The see-sawing of people\u2019s weight has physicians concerned. \u201cIt\u2019s expected when people lose weight they lose muscle and fat tissue,\u201d says Terri-Lynne South. \u201cBut we often see with the weight regain there\u2019s proportionally more fat gain, and it\u2019s the fat tissue that is the concern for the health risks.\u201d In addition, the trial found associated conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular risks return after people stopped taking semaglutide.<\/p>\n

\n

\u2018Not taking the medicine and then taking it again is like chalk and cheese.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

However, anecdotes about what happens to people\u2019s weight when they stop are mixed. Not everyone regains substantial weight, says Samaras. \u201cMy view is that\u2019s because there has been the support to keep people on track with psychological support, nutritional support and the championing and encouragement of people to stay on this narrow pathway.\u201d She has seen her patients go off the drug without regaining so much as half a kilogram. \u201cThey say, \u2018I was too scared to go back to eating the way I did. I ate exactly as I did when I had the medication\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Without the drug, Jen notices aches \u2013 a return of inflammation from overloaded joints. \u201cWithin a week, everything starts to hurt again when you get out of bed,\u201d she says. \u201cNot taking the medicine and then taking it again is like chalk and cheese.\u201d Samaras says when people restrict their calories, they reduce immune cells that cause inflammation by 80 per cent \u2013 therefore, if they go off the drug their inflammation can return.<\/p>\n

Then there are those costs. Each time Jen stops and restarts Ozempic she notices she needs a higher dose \u201cto then maintain that same equilibrium\u201d. She recently switched to Mounjaro, at $565 every two months. \u201cYou have to be committed because, like, I could do three pens and be in Fiji for two weeks eating lobster, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, the medication has put a healthier life within her reach. \u201cMy goal is not about aesthetics,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s actually just being strong for longevity, and I\u2019m not waiting for a written invitation for a heart attack, a stroke, diabetes or any other fat-related disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

This Explainer was brought to you by <\/strong>The Age<\/strong> and <\/strong>The Sydney Morning Herald<\/strong> Explainer team: editor Felicity Lewis and reporters Jackson Graham, centre, and Angus Holland, right. For fascinating insights into the world\u2019s most perplexing topics, <\/strong>sign up for our weekly Explainer newsletter. <\/a>And read more of our Explainers here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

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