Globally, adult obesity has more than doubled since 1990, and adolescent obesity has quadrupled.1
In Australia, 2 in 3 adults are overweight or obese, totalling approximately 12.5 million people.2 The economic impacts of the obesity epidemic are also significant, and if nothing is done to address this health crisis, global costs are predicted to reach 3 trillion USD per year by 2030, and more than 18 trillion USD by 2060.1
The demand for weight loss products is high, with the prescription weight-loss drug market now a $2.3 billion industry due to the rise of new medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus.3 Although solely indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)4 , viral videos on TikTok and across other media have showcased the rapid weight loss achieved with Ozempic and the rising popularity of these medications.5 This has led to an increase in off-label prescribing, with hundreds of thousands of people taking drugs like Ozempic to lose weight.6 This increase in demand has resulted in global shortages which the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) predicts will last until 2025.5
With obesity being a significant risk factor for all the major non-communicable diseases7,8 and statistics growing at an alarming rate, urgent interventions are required. However, concerns exist around the safety and potential consequences of relying on Ozempic to address the obesity crisis.
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