Ozempic: How a diabetes treatment became a dangerous 'miracle drug' for weight loss enthusiasts

In a statement on Tuesday, noted that although the medicine is effective in managing type 2 diabetes that is insufficiently controlled, its use outside approved medical purposes continues to raise safety concerns.

“Semaglutide is a prescription-only medicine and should not be used without medical supervision. It is approved for the treatment of adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus that is insufficiently controlled. While the benefits of semaglutide outweigh its risks, serious safety concerns continue to be raised, particularly when it is used outside its approved medical purposes,” the Board said.

The PPB explained that semaglutide, commonly marketed to the public under brand names such as Ozempic and other generic names, can lead to side effects ranging from mild to severe. Some of the most common risks include low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, eye conditions, acid reflux disease and intestinal obstruction.

The drug has increasingly been used for weight loss across the country, with reports also emerging about counterfeit versions circulating in the market.

Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni recently addressed concerns over the misuse of Ozempic in Kenya and confirmed that swift regulatory actions are underway to protect consumers and ensure that all pharmaceuticals are prescribed and dispensed responsibly.

Several leading female influencers, celebrities and content creators in Kenya have admitted to the use of Ozempic in their weight loss journeys, with many's confessions triggering a runaway rush into the acquisition of the drug for purposes of losing weight and achieving that supermodel build.

Originally developed to manage type 2 diabetes, Ozempic has now morphed into one of the most popular weight loss medications, thanks to its effectiveness and potency in helping individuals struggling to lose weight.

Ozempic was approved by US authorities to be used as a weight loss medication, and it has since garnered praise for its benefits, including instant weight loss as well as heart and kidney protection.

However, on the misuse of the drug to cut weight, Dr Kenneth Blum, senior author of the mental health study and a professor at Western University Health Sciences and Ariel University, insists these risks cannot be overlooked and there is a need to administer Ozempic with caution, especially for certain individuals.

“This study should not be ignored, despite the hype surrounding the positive clinical outcomes of GLP1 receptor agonists,” he said. “We urge the clinical prescribing community to proceed with caution to avoid another tragic wave of ‘people dying to lose weight'".

In 1984, Canadian endocrinologist Prof Daniel Drucker and his team discovered that the glucagon gene in the pancreas contains a GLP-1 molecule which when combined with insulin, it boosts insulin production.

GLP-1-based drugs lower blood sugar by stimulating insulin secretion and reducing glucagon levels through selective activation of the GLP-1 receptor.

In the gut, the drug suppresses hunger by up to 80, reducing how often and how much one eats while in the brain, it alters cravings and appetite by acting on the satiety system, influencing both what and how much one wants to eat.

Dubbed a “miracle drug” by influencers, it has sparked a frenzy on social media - Global - and Kenyan - celebrities have been sharing their weight-loss journeys, while some users even demonstrate self-injections live on TikTok and Instagram.

Churning videos, photos and content on their body transformation, influencers portray Ozempic as a glamorous solution to their weight-loss struggles with guaranteed results and are dumping morning runs, gym sessions and dieting for the newest craze in town.

Heavyweight Kenyan influencers like Kelvin Kinuthia, Pritty Vishy, Lydia Wanjiru, Murugi Munyi and Nimo Gachiuri are among those who have shared their experience with Ozempic, crediting it with their body transformations.

“I tried working out in the gym, but I felt overwhelmed … So I opted for Ozempic … I eat too much … After Ozempic, my appetite reduced drastically,” Pritty Vishy, who lost 41Kgs in months, shared.

“I saw changes I never got even after six months in the gym,” Lydia Wanjiru noted while sharing her transformation.

However, experts have stressed that proper supervision is essential for anyone on Ozempic, adding that making lifestyle changes such as exercising and eating right cannot be substituted for any quick fix for weight loss.

In Australia, Jamie Lee, a mother of three, spoke out after suffering three separate bowel obstructions, which she believes were linked to her 18-month use of Ozempic.

“Give me my 30 kilos back,” she told The Project, an Australian TV programme. “I’ll take that over going through this pain again.”

Jamie initially saw rapid weight loss after starting Ozempic, losing more than 30kg in under two years.

But in early 2024, she began experiencing unexplained gastrointestinal emergencies, including severe abdominal pain that led to repeated hospitalisations. 

Though scans found no physical obstructions, doctors attributed her symptoms to the drug’s side effects and advised her to stop the medication.

Dr Vanita Rahman, an internal medicine specialist with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, recently warned that despite its widespread use, semaglutide is not the silver bullet it is made out to be.

“While millions qualify to use semaglutide for weight loss, research shows most users remain overweight or obese, even after years of treatment,” she wrote in a letter published in JAMA Cardiology on May 14, 2025.

More concerning is the lack of long-term safety data on the use of Ozempic.

“We don’t have more than four years of real-world data on this drug,” said Dr Christopher Rudge, a medico-legal expert to the Project. “That’s a very short time to understand lifelong impact.”

And in the case of a misfire, legal experts caution that proving a direct link between the drug and personal injury is difficult.

“You must show that the manufacturer failed to warn you, and that this failure caused your harm,” Dr Rudge explains.

"At the end of the day, no one was forced to take it, it was a personal choice."

Also, Ozempic drugs only work for as long as you carry on taking them, and people have reported gaining back all the weight they lost after stopping the drug - either out of choice or because of a supply shortage.

In August, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) - the body that provides guidance on the use of new drugs - said that people coming off the drugs should be offered "structured advice and follow-up support" to help prevent weight gain.

This includes being monitored by a health professional for at least a year after completing treatment and support to help build "long-term behavioural habits, use self-monitoring tools, and draw on wider support - from online communities to family-led interventions and local activities".