TikTok creator and curve model Remi Bader said that when she went off Ozempic, a drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes, she "gained double the weight back."
Ozempic is used to help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. However, in recent months, it has become a popular drug for weight loss. The boom in popularity has led to an Ozempic shortage.
In a recent episode of the podcast "Not Skinny Not Fat,” Bader told host Amanda Hirsch that she was on Ozempic before it was “this trendy drug" and shortly after it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. She said she was prescribed it because she was pre-diabetic and insulin-resistant and gaining weight.
“They said I need this. And I had a lot of mixed feelings,” Bader said. “Because then ... a few months later, got into the bad bingeing and went off it.”
Bader, who is known for her “realistic clothing hauls” on TikTok, has been vocal about her experience with binge eating disorder. She has 2.2 million followers on TikTok and has become known for her advocacy for size-inclusive fashion.
“I saw a doctor, and they were like, ‘It’s 100% because you went on Ozempic,’” she said of the impact going off the medication had on her. “It was making me think I wasn’t hungry for so long I lost some weight. I didn’t want to be obsessed with being on it long-term. I was like, ‘I bet the second I got off I’m going to get starving again.’ I did, and my bingeing got so much worse. So then I kind of blamed Ozempic.”
TikTok videos tagged with #ozempic have racked up over 400 million views, with some users praising its weight loss effects and others opening up about their negative experiences. Side effects of Ozempic include headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, pancreatitis and kidney failure, “TODAY” has reported.
The increased demand for the drug and ongoing supply chain issues have prevented people with Type 2 diabetes from getting the medication they need. With limited access to Ozempic, patients have had to check multiple pharmacies, accept lower doses or even switch medications altogether.
The drug’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, previously told “TODAY,” “We do not promote, suggest or encourage off-label use of our medicines.”
A spokesperson for Bader did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
