Using Ozempic for weight loss is unhealthy: Doctor

Using Ozempic for weight loss is unhealthy: Doctor

By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: There has recently been a surging demand for Ozempic-which helps people with diabetes keep blood sugar levels in check-leading to a shortage. The popularity of the drug is not because of rising rate of diabetes, doctors say, but because of its weight loss benefits.

Speaking to Kuwait Times, Dr Waleed Al-Dahi, consultant endocrinologist and head of the Kuwaiti Diabetes Association, said that using diabetes injection medication is now a trend in Kuwait for obese people. “Everyone is looking for a solution to lose weight quickly without the supervision of specialists, although using diabetes medications without a prescription is against the law, as these injections are not used in all cases,” he said.

He indicated that these medications are being sold illegally on social media platforms and inside clinics without supervision, noting that some clinics are selling the injections at 3-4 times their real price. The cost of an injection is KD 36, said Al-Dahi, but it is sold at the clinic for KD 100. “We do not know whether a single needle is used for more than one patient or not, and this will pose a danger to the patient. This phenomenon is unhealthy and alarming. The only correct