It’s known by many names: semaglutide, the skinny pen, Hollywood’s worst-kept secret. The injectable drug Ozempic has exploded in popularity in the 12 months, appearing frequently in news headlines and the TikTok feed.

Semaglutide (brand name Ozempic) is prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes to help control their blood sugar levels. However, semaglutide also leads to significant weight loss, leading to doctors prescribing the drug off-label to non-diabetic individuals. This practice has become more common recently, fuelled by celebrity and social media endorsements.

Luke speaks with Professor Nitika Garg, Consumer behaviour researcher at UNSW Business School, who joins other experts to say stronger advertising regulations and other weight loss drug options are needed.

“What is happening is that social media influencer word-of-mouth has exploded so fast that the regulatory bodies have not kept up with it,” Professor Garg says.

“We need to hold people accountable who are talking about these things online, without consideration of the consequences.”

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