What is TikTok's 'Budget Ozempic trend' and is it safe?

By now, you've probably heard about the type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic which celebrities have been using to lose weight.

Although the drug is not recommended for weight loss, nevertheless the trending product has led to shortages and has caused people to search for cheaper alternative versions of the drug as part of a new toxic diet trend.

Online, influencers have been hailing laxatives and stool softeners as an alternative and have even nicknamed the products the "Budget Ozempic," to help lose weight.

However, these drugs have no connection whatsoever to Ozempic - the product do not even have the active ingredient of semaglutide that is in Ozempic, Swrajit Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition, City, University of London noted in The Conversation.

In reality, laxatives and stool softeners only have a brief effect on weight loss - flushing out the water weight - and both were not made for weight loss or to be taken for long periods.

Furthermore, abuse of these laxatives can cause a number of health problems, including an increased risk of eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa.

Here are some of the negative impacts of taking laxatives for weight loss:

• Dehydration - water in the body is moved to the intestines to flush out waste and this can cause tiredness, thirstiness, dizziness and lightheadedness.
• Unbalanced between fluids and blood pressure due to water loss - which can then result in water retention to make up for dehydration, along with hypertension and other cardiovascular problems.
• Electrolyte imbalance that works to maintain muscle and nervous system function being thrown off balance and causing muscle cramps and spasms, nausea, fatigue, headaches, and sometimes numb limbs.
• Increased chance of heart problems as a result of long-term electrolyte imbalance.
• Poor nutrient intake due to taking laxatives.
• Diarrhoea as laxatives work to move food and waste through the body.
• Imbalance in mineral and salt levels.

In conclusion, if you want to lose weight the best way to do this is to adopt a healthy, balanced diet paired with exercise to see long-term results and it is important not to use laxatives for weight loss purposes as they were not made to be used this way.

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