Diabetes drug in short supply because TikTokers are using it for weight loss

The diabetes treatment Ozempic has been in short supply worldwide as TikTokers use it as a diet drug.

The drug, which has been hashtagged on the app close to 207.2 million times, has become the sign of the must-have product.

Young women can be seen smiling into the camera as they prepare to take their dose. They pull out injection pens from their packets and push the needle into their stomachs.

Then, they also share what they eat in a day on the treatment and the number of pounds they shed or hope to shed over the upcoming week.

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There are even support groups on Facebook for those that want to try Ozempic.

In recent times, the diabetes treatment started to be prescribed as an "off-label" for weight loss. It's also available for purchase without a prescription.

The treatment has also become the slimming method in Hollywood too, where stars pay $1,500 per month for the promise of losing a few pounds.

Ozempic (the generic name is semaglutide) mimics the hormone that controls appetite by creating a feeling of fullness.

The dose is given to someone by weekly injection, which is shown to produce an average reduction of 6 to 15 per cent of their body weight over the course of a year, depending on the strength of the dosage, The Independent reported.

But with treatment gaining the recognition it has on TikTok, its reach is expanding to new heights than ever before.

The Pharmaceutical Journal found that earlier this year, the app was the "worst culprit" for bombarding young people with medical misinformation online.

GP Simon Gordon says that Ozempic "works well" for obese patients. He has seen his own patients "lose lots of weight and [be] able to stop medicines for blood pressure… At the moment, it's helping."

Still, there's a reason for caution, especially given diet treatments' tumultuous past.

At least 25 other weight loss treatments have been approved by medical authorities in the last 60 years but banned once their side effects came to the forefront.

This includes heart valve damage, strokes, fatal lung condition, and much more.

Despite Ozempic proving itself to be safe and effective, the medication is intended for use accompanied by a healthy eating plan and exercise regime because medically suppressing appetite alone won't be the long-term fix for weight loss.

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