Healthy sized people are using Ozempic to get ‘beach body ready’ – but there are risks they need to know about

With Ozempic now available to buy at high street chemists, doctors are warning weight-loss injections should not be abused in an attempt to get ‘beach body ready’. Olivia Petter looks at how people are increasingly turning to the drug for lifestyle reasons and lays out the side effects and dangers

Ozempic abuse among healthy sized people who want to lose weight for lifestyle reasons is a growing trend. (iStock)

It was ironic that the confession came midway through dinner. “I’ve started taking Ozempic,” my friend whispered in between small mouthfuls of the Thai green curry I’d just made for us. “What made you decide to do that?” I asked, knowing the answer. She smiled and explained summer was coming up, she wanted to slim down ahead of her holiday, and dieting had never worked for her. Besides, as she put it: “It was just so easy to get it that it seemed daft not to.” This friend is a size 10. 

Semaglutide, which is the active ingredient sold in various forms under different brand names including Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, was initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes.

By increasing the amount of insulin that’s released in the body, the once-weekly injection successfully lowers high blood sugar and suppresses the amount of glucose produced in the liver, both of which can reduce your appetite and slow the movement of food in your gut. This means you stay fuller for longer, so eat less and watch the pounds fall off.

In 2023, semaglutide started being prescribed for weight loss on the NHS. Since then, people using Ozempic and Wegovy as a quick fix to drop a dress size as opposed to a legitimate medical treatment has become an open secret. Taking these medications purely for weight loss would be considered ‘off-label’, however, that hasn’t stopped people from using them this way.

This week doctors in emergency care report that almost every shift they see young beautiful girls with potentially deadly complications who took the drug despite being a healthy weight. At a NHS Confederation conference in Manchester the audience, Professor Stephen Powis, England’s medical director warned the drugs should not be seen as a “quick fix for people trying to get ‘beach body ready’.

He said: “We know these new drugs will be a powerful part of our arsenal dealing with obesity, but they should not be abused. Buying medication online without a doctor’s supervision can lead to complications and dangerous consequences.”

While the British government declared a shortage of Ozempic and was forced to intervene after diabetics who’d been prescribed the drug couldn’t access it, outside of the doctors, waiting room scarcity has been short-lived. 

“It has become like coke was in the 1990s,” a friend who works in fashion tells me before rattling off a list of famous women – models, actors and influencers – she knows that are taking it, many of whom have touted the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

“It’s just impossible to maintain that level of skinniness,” she added. “I found some in the fridge on a photoshoot last week.” Evidently, the drug is rife within the fashion industry – last September, Ozempic was also found in a hotel room at Le Bristol during Paris Fashion Week – but in recent months, the use has become even more widespread. Whether it’s people wanting to use it to get into shape for a holiday or an upcoming wedding, or just feel under pressure from a ‘new skinny’ fashion vibe, private clinicians are being inundated with requests from people who wouldn’t normally qualify for it.

“People see it as a magic pen,” says Dr Natalie Hammer, an aesthetic medicine practitioner who only prescribes Ozempic as part of a sustainable weight loss programme, but is constantly being asked for it by those who don’t meet the requirements.

“For them, it’s an easy way out if they’re stagnating in their weight loss or hit a plateau,” she adds. “I advise people to look at nutrition and exercise adjustments instead. If they don’t need Ozempic but take it, they’re depriving someone else of a pen who has a much greater need.

Shortages have resulted in those requiring Ozempic for serious health reasons being deprived of it (Reuters)

According to clinical trials, when used alongside diet, physical activity, and behavioural support, Wegovy users can achieve up to a 15 per cent reduction in body weight after one year. “I have seen obese and overweight patients lose 20kg after three months and enjoy enormous benefits from doing this,” says Dr Hammer. “These are the people we should prioritise.”

Unfortunately, it’s all too easy for people to bypass restrictions and gain access to semaglutide without even needing to visit a doctor in person. “It is illegal to buy Ozempic, or other GLP-1 receptors without a prescription,” notes Dr Charlotte Norton, chief medical officer of the UK’s largest online weight loss clinic, The Slimming Clinic.

“However, people are obtaining it from unlicensed and unregulated sources online without one. But buying this means that it’s impossible to verify the authenticity of the drugs themselves, or indeed if a dosage is correct for an individual’s needs.”

My friend obtained it from another friend, who bought it from someone else. When I probe for details, I’m not given any more clarity beyond that. But I don’t even need to inveigle my way into my friend’s underground supply chain.

After visiting one pharmacy’s website and fudging the responses to a survey about my BMI, I am taken through a series of questions that brings me closer to a prescription for Wegovy, which contains a slightly higher dose of semaglutide than Ozempic. 

I’m asked about my family’s medical history as well as my own (semaglutide is not suitable for those with a history of thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, and liver disease among other conditions) and a drop-down menu I happen to click on reminds me that Wegovy cannot be prescribed if I have a history of disordered eating. 

Though it’s not the more recognisable brand, Wegovy has more of the vital weight-loss ingredient in it than Ozempic (Reuters)

Generally, you are offered the lowest dose first – I’m offered 0.25mg of Wegovy – and then can up the dosage after four weeks until reaching a maintenance dose of 2.4mg. On the service I used, Wegovy is available in five doses in the form of an injection pen and a one-month course costs £199. 

I’m told that my answers will be reviewed by a doctor and the system asks me to tick a box confirming that I’ve been truthful in my responses. I am asked to pass on the name of my GP and told the clinician will review the answers within 24 hours and promises to contact patients if they have any follow-up questions.

But it’s not a foolproof system. “Online pharmacies operating within the UK have been found to dispense prescriptions for semaglutide to individuals who falsely report their body mass index (BMI) on online forms,” says Dr Elise Dallas, women’s health GP at The London General Practice.

She also warns that the practice circumvents proper medical evaluation and oversight, potentially exposing individuals to adverse effects and complications: “Obtaining semaglutide without a legitimate medical indication and proper medical supervision poses serious health risks and should be strongly discouraged.”

While I don’t follow through with my request, from anecdotes I know others who have got access to Wegovy this way often take it midweek so they can get over any side effects before the weekend hits. “My mate injects herself every Wednesday along with the rest of the internet – she says ‘Wegovy Wednesday’ is totally a ‘thing’,” my friend tells me.

But while these drugs have been approved as successful treatments for certain individuals, like those who are obese or have diabetes, there is a lack of research on how they impact those who are a healthy weight.

Wegovy users can lose up to 15 per cent of their body weight in a year when the drug is used in conjunction with healthy eating and exercise (PA)

“Using these medications for weight loss in individuals with BMIs below 27, for instance, has not been studied, and there is a dearth of data regarding efficacy and safety in this context,” explains Dallas. So, what happens when you start taking a weight loss injection if there is no excess fat to lose? 

“The rapid weight loss could result in a decrease in muscle mass when used incorrectly and without adequate doctor supervision,” explains Carol Standing, chief marketing officer at The Slimming Clinic. “Typically obese people will experience a faster initial weight loss than a thinner person due to the fact that they have a higher basal metabolic rate and they expend more energy.” 

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides clear guidance on the appropriate use of semaglutide, stating that it should only be considered as an option for individuals with a BMI of at least 35.0kg/m², or those with a BMI of at least 30 who meet the criteria for referral specialist weight management services. It should also only be used as part of a package in a specialised weight loss programme.

On TikTok, there are endless videos of women (of all body sizes) discussing Wegovy and filming themselves injecting it. Standing says: “I have read that more people are accidentally overdosing on GLP-1 medications. The symptoms of overdosing can include vomiting and diarrhoea, and in severe cases hospitalisation.”

And in the “wild west” of the internet, outside of certified clinics, there is a heightened risk of receiving counterfeit or adulterated medications, “which may contain unknown or harmful ingredients,” says Dr Dallas. “This poses a serious threat to patient safety, potentially leading to overdoses, allergic reactions, or even severe health complications, including death.”

As for side effects of the official weight loss jabs, there are many, with those listed on the Ozempic brand’s website ranging from nausea and vomiting to pancreatitis and kidney failure. 

However, the report this week showed that a weekly shot of semaglutide can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke or death due to cardiovascular disease by one-fifth, which is likely to only increase interest among the Ozempic-curious. 

“It can be seen as an easy option but there can be side-effects and the hard work starts when you finish taking Ozempic and how you keep the weight off,” says Elle Mace, positive psychology coach. “It's concerning because it promotes the idea that weight loss is the ultimate goal, potentially overshadowing the importance of overall health and wellbeing.”

And yet, here we are. “I don’t think people even care,” my fashion friend told me when I asked about the risks. “It’s like, as long as they’re thin, everything else will be okay.”