Between Health and Beauty: The Ozempic Dilemma
Written by Terrance Miao
Edited by Brianna Beckham
If a weekly injection could change your body and maybe even your identity, would you take it? Ozempic turns this situation into a reality, compelling individuals to confront a deeper question: where does medical treatment end and self-reinvention begin?
Ozempic, a medication initially developed for diabetes treatment, has come to symbolize society’s allure of effortless transformation. Once whispered among celebrities as a “miracle shot”, the drug has now become a social buzz, trending across social media platforms. What started as a medical innovation has blurred the boundary between health and personal identity. The biology behind Ozempic, clarifies just how thin this line has become.
Ozempic belongs to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which mimic a natural hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite. By slowing digestion and boosting insulin release, Ozempic lowers blood sugar levels while suppressing hunger. Because these drugs only act when glucose levels are high, they offer a safer alternative for patients managing diabetes.
Photo from novonordisk.com. Curated by Hailey Foster (hf348@cornell.edu)
Beyond its intended medical purpose, this biological process produced an unintended, and widely publicized, effect. The same mechanism that stabilizes blood sugar also suppresses appetite, resulting in Ozempic’s now-famous side effect: rapid weight loss within weeks of use. In some studies, users reported having lost 10 to 15% of their body weight in a year. Remarkably, these results occur even without exercising, highlighting Ozempic as an efficient and effective weight-loss strategy.
Yet, these numbers tell another story, one often obscure from the public. The effects of Ozempic only last as long as the injections continue. When users stop taking Ozempic, their appetite usually returns, and many users gain back a majority of the weight they lost. Studies show that Ozempic users regained ⅔ of their lost weight in one year of no Ozempic usage. This builds an overreliance on Ozempic simply to maintain their results, turning a temporary aid to a long-term dependency.
As Ozempic’s popularity rises, researchers are racing to understand the long term effects of Ozempic. Some studies have seen decreased muscle mass and bone density due to rapid weight loss. However, these effects can be mitigated by eating a protein-rich diet and exercising regularly. Still, various issues could arise from the overuse of Ozempic. Since the drug slows digestion, the effect Ozempic has on the pancreas and the gallbladder is still being investigated.
Photo from novonordisk.com. Curated by Hailey Foster (hf348@cornell.edu)
Ozempic stands as the latest symbol of chasing transformation through science. What started as a treatment for diabetes spiraled into a widespread answer for self-modification and social aspiration. As researchers continue to study the long term impact, we must ask: Are we risking too much by conflating health solutions with identity change? Innovation may reshape our bodies, but ethical restraint must determine how deeply we let it reshape who we are.
Terrance Miao ‘27 is in the College of Agricultural Life Sciences. He can be reached at tm672@cornell.edu.
