The drug Ozempic has been trending and lingering in the headlines for a minute, stirring controversy over its unintended uses and its accessibility to many as a drastic weight loss tool.
The drug is FDA-approved to treat type-2 diabetes, but many have been getting the drug prescribed to help them lose weight as it makes users feel fuller, eat less and reduce appetite.
While many are open about using the drug for its weight loss side-effects, others criticize the use of Ozempic for anything other than improving blood sugar in adults with type-2 diabetes.
One such person is Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner, who has been outspoken in the past about struggling with eating disorders.
In 2019, Turner opened up to The Times UKabout her struggles with body image and attempting to conform to Hollywood's beauty standards at a young age:
"I was too aware of my body at a young age."
"It took over my mind, it was all I would think about - calorie counting, everything."
The actor shared a screenshot of a tweet calling out ads featured in the Times Square subway station of the use of Ozempic for weight loss.
She added:
"WTF"
@sophiet/Instagram
The original tweet, posted by @svershbow (Sophie Vershbow) contained the caption:
"The ozempic ads plastered across the Times Square subway station can f**k all the way off."
Many on Twitter called out the brand for its marketing toward weight loss versus its intended target.
\u201c@svershbow Ok, now THAT is ridiculous! And I normally defend it. The only way to combat Type 2 diabetes is to lose weight and you don\u2019t have to be enormous to suffer from it. Thus I\u2019m not one to judge anyone for using the drug that\u2019s meant to help. But this one step too far.\u201d— Sophie Vershbow (@Sophie Vershbow) 1680471666
\u201c@svershbow NO.GROSS. CANCELED.\u201d— Sophie Vershbow (@Sophie Vershbow) 1680471666
\u201c@svershbow So we're not even pretending it's about diabetes anymore huh \ud83d\ude11\u201d— Sophie Vershbow (@Sophie Vershbow) 1680471666
\u201c@svershbow So they\u2019re just abandoning diabetes care now huh\u201d— Sophie Vershbow (@Sophie Vershbow) 1680471666
\u201c@svershbow Oh, that is seriously disturbing.\u201d— Sophie Vershbow (@Sophie Vershbow) 1680471666
\u201c@svershbow this makes me want to cry\u201d— Sophie Vershbow (@Sophie Vershbow) 1680471666
Some even claimed that, due to the drug's new-found popularity, patients with diabetes are struggling to get their prescriptions filled.
\u201c@svershbow My husband can't get his usual amount from the pharmacy because of the shortage. He takes it for his diabetes\u201d— Sophie Vershbow (@Sophie Vershbow) 1680471666
\u201c@svershbow I take it for my diabetes. We\u2019ll see if I can get my refill thanks to people taking it for the wrong reasons\ud83d\ude44\u201d— Sophie Vershbow (@Sophie Vershbow) 1680471666
\u201c@svershbow Meanwhile, my diabetic mother-in-law who needs Ozempic to survive can't find Ozempic anywhere because people are getting it so they can look good in a swimsuit this summer.\u201d— Sophie Vershbow (@Sophie Vershbow) 1680471666
\u201c@svershbow the fact that i have multiple family members with diabetic issues right now cos they can\u2019t get their supply of ozempic (a drug they were on LONG before it became a weight loss fad) is so disgusting. people should not be taking this drug over people with life-threatening issues.\u201d— Sophie Vershbow (@Sophie Vershbow) 1680471666
\u201c@svershbow I\u2019m surprised they have ads when they don\u2019t have enough of it for the people who actually need it.\u201d— Sophie Vershbow (@Sophie Vershbow) 1680471666
Model Charli Howard also took to Instagram to share her disgust over the ads, stating she was, "Genuinely gobsmacked that injections MEANT FOR DIABETES SUFFERERS are being marketed on posters as a weight loss tool. 🫠."
She added:
"As anyone with an insane eating disorder will tell you, I was beyond caring about the possible dangers of unprescribed medication. As long as I looked 'good.'"
"I could've died or ended up in a hospital and wouldn't have cared."
"I can't begin to tell you how stupid taking medication that isn't prescribed for you is, but as someone who is still recovering, I know young girls will see these posters and see it as a quick fix."
@charlihoward/Instagram
Howard finished her post:
"... I worry we’re falling back into toxic times - and truly hope young women won’t take drastic measures."
"You have one body: please take care of it."
"I’ve seen so many lives ruined because of anorexia and society’s obsession with being thin. 💔"