Taking Ozempic for weight-loss could be dangerous

By Rachael Kopylov

Contributing

Writer

A drug that efficiently treats diabetes and induces weight loss may seem like a medical miracle, but many doctors are warning their patients that the drug may be dangerous for people who are not diabetic.

Ozempic became an FDA approved medication in 2017, intended only to treat diabetes. But now, the FDA has listed Ozempic as a medicine in short supply, because many people have started using Ozempic to induce weight loss.

Influencers and celebrities started publicly speaking about their use of the drug for weight loss purposes; it soon started trending on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. When Elon Musk was asked how he looked so fit and healthy, he replied that he was using Wegovy, a stronger version of Ozempic.

As Ozempic’s popularity heightened, many doctors believe that people found alternate methods for acquir- ing the drug—either by purchasing it online or by finding a physician who may prescribe it to them off-label. “It’s not unusual for doctors to prescribe medications for ‘off-label’ use, or for a different purpose from what the medication is explicitly intended for,” said Dr. Disha Narang, an endocrinologist at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital.

Though it was not designed specifically to do so, Ozempic causes weight loss in many ways. The main active ingredient, semaglutide, induces satiety in the brain. After one eats, body cells in the intestines release glucagon-like-peptide-1, also known as GLP-1. This triggers the release of insulin, and blocks the production of the body’s glucose. The drug also slows digestion and reduces appetite.

Despite all of this, Ozempic is not authorized by the FDA to be used as a weight-

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loss medication. When nondiabetics use it, it can have extremely detrimental side effects, including nausea, dehydration, fatigue, severe constipation and diarrhea, and maybe even gallstones and pancreatitis. Diabetics who take Ozempic are meant to be very closely monitored. They start off with a very small dose and gradually increase their dosage if necessary. Although the idea of a weight loss drug may be tempting, getting it off-label is like gambling with one’s health, doctors warn.

Overall, Ozempic is strictly meant to be used as a diabetes medication. Using it for any other purpose, including weight loss, is dangerous and ill-advised, especially because of the lack of sufficient research conducted on its effect on nondiabetics.

Faculty Freshman: Mr. Cahill

continued from page 2 personal profiles, are put in a position to thrive in school,” he said.

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He said he is very pleased to be joining the YOF family because he sees great opportunities here. He is aware of the excellence Flatbush students are able to achieve with the help of the administration, faculty, and staff, and he is excited to be a part of that mission. He will be working alongside the principals to support students, improve teacher-student communication, and much more.

Even outside of school, Dr. Atlas takes on many roles. He lives in Great Neck with his wife and four daughters. He loves to play pretty much any sport, but especially basketball and tennis. His love for tennis extended to the students, as he coached a high school tennis team. And Dr. Atlas enjoys his role as Ba’al Tefillah on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in Great Neck Synagogue. ondly, it is only a 20-minute drive from home, as opposed to the much longer commutes to his previous jobs. Thirdly, when school reached out to him they were all very friendly, welcoming, and professional. After that, he fell in love with the school.

Dr. Atlas describes himself as driven by others’ success. He lives a life filled with good midot, and he enjoys spreading his knowledge to students daily.

In class, Mr. Cahill says his job is all about getting his students to think. “I give a lot of open-ended questions. In history it’s important to build off each other, so I try to incorporate that in the classroom.”

His favorite part about teaching is seeing the progress in his students throughout the year. He also enjoys knowing that, in the real world, whenever his students travel they can apply their knowledge to have a much greater understanding of that place’s history and culture. His least favorite part about teaching is all the grading involved, as it takes too long to grade and return all of his classes’ assignments.

Outside the classroom, Mr. Cahill does not seem to have any shortage of interest and hobbies. He loves movies and said he usually goes to the movie theater three times a month. In addition, he also built his own PC and loves playing video games on his PS5. His biggest passion is baseball: he played on his high school team and is a huge Mets fan.