It’s the blockbuster drug believed to be the secret behind the rapid weight loss of countless Hollywood stars and UK politicians.
But, although studies show that weight loss shots like Ozempic can help people lose up to fifteen percent of their body weight in weeks, it doesn’t work for everyone.
The latest of the high-profile so-called “non-responders” is James Corden, who admitted he turned to the drug in an attempt to lose weight.
The 46-year-old said: ‘I tried Ozempic, and it won’t surprise you, when you look at me now, that it didn’t really work.
“I tried it for a while and then I realized I was like, ‘Oh no, none of my diet has anything to do with being hungry.’
James Corden has become the latest high-profile non-responder after admitting he tried the weight-loss drug.
Model Lottie Moss was rushed to hospital last week after taking a high dose and vows never to take the drug again.
Lottie, half-sister of supermodel Kate Moss, suffered a seizure and severe dehydration after taking the medication when she weighed around 60kg (just four stone). Pictured is Kate, left, with her daughter Lila, center, and Lottie.
Comedian Amy Schumer, 43, had a similarly negative experience and said she got so sick from using the weight-loss jab that she had to stop.
‘The only thing it does is make you not feel hungry. But I rarely eat (just because I’m hungry).’
Other people who have had similarly disastrous experiences with the drug include model Lottie Moss.
The half-sister of supermodel Kate Moss admitted last month that she was rushed to hospital after taking high doses of Ozempic.
Lottie, 26, was seriously ill and suffered seizures and severe dehydration after taking the medication when she weighed just nine stone.
He said he would rather “die” than use Ozempic again.
Comedian Amy Schumer, 43, had a similarly negative experience and said she got so sick from using the weight-loss jab that she had to stop.
She said: “I was one of those people who felt so sick and couldn’t play with my son.”
Revealing that she opted for liposuction surgery to lose weight.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 60, also admitted trying to lose weight with Ozempic, but gave up after it made him nauseous.
“I must have been losing four or five pounds a week, maybe more, when suddenly everything started going wrong,” he wrote in his Daily Mail column last year.
‘One minute I was fine and the next minute I was talking to Ralph on the big white phone; and I’m afraid I decided I couldn’t continue.’
Sharon Osbourne, 71, revealed she took Ozempic but said she lost “too much weight” on the drug and had trouble getting back on it.
When asked if her experience with the drug was positive, the former X Factor judge and wife of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne said: “Yes and no.”
“I can’t gain weight now and I don’t know what it’s done to my metabolism, but I can’t seem to gain anything because I think I went too far.”
Reality star Scott Disick, 41, also admitted seeking help after losing so much weight he looked emaciated and ill, sparking a public outcry.
Oprah Winfrey, and former Weight Watchers board member, also confessed that the drug was behind her astonishing weight loss. And Hollywood actress Rebel Wilson, 44, revealed she used the drug to help her lose more than five stone during her “year of health” in 2020.
There are celebrities who have benefited from weight loss punches.
One of the world’s richest men, Elon Musk, 53, said the drug helped him lose five pounds, making him feel “fit, muscular and healthy.”
Chat show legend Oprah Winfrey, a former Weight Watchers ambassador, confessed that the drug was behind her astonishing weight loss in late 2023.
And Hollywood actress Rebel Wilson, 44, revealed she used the drug to help her lose more than five stone during her “year of health” in 2020.
However, there are people, like James Cordon, who doctors know do not respond to treatment.
Some lose weight but quickly stabilize, while others barely change at all.
One of the world’s richest men, Elon Musk, 53, said the drug helped him lose five pounds, making him feel “fit, muscular and healthy.”
Sharon Osbourne, 71, revealed she took Ozempic but said she lost “too much weight” on the drug and had trouble gaining it back.
Doctors working in this field believe that a combination of genetics, thyroid problems, and poor food choices can render the medication useless.
Clinical trials of Ozempic and similar drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro, which contain the drug tirzepatide, show that about 15 percent of patients are “non-responders.”
This means they lose less than five percent of their body weight in about 68 weeks.
“There are many factors at play, including probably very strong genetics,” said Dr. Gitanjali Srivastava, an obesity specialist at Vanderbilt University.
Pre-existing health conditions have also been shown to prevent the drug from being effective.
“Having PCOS and type two diabetes makes patients less responsive,” says Dr. Rekha Kumar, an obesity expert at Cornell University.
“I wouldn’t say they necessarily don’t respond, but we know in all the clinical trials of anti-obesity drugs that people with insulin resistance respond more slowly and tend to lose weight more slowly.”
Doctors say emotional eating or using food to cope with stress could also be a factor.
Even if semaglutide suppresses a person’s appetite, they may still experience cravings or the need to eat as a coping mechanism.
Appetite may also return after about a year of consistent weight loss. The body finds a way to counteract the drop in calories a person eats.
A recent study by the National Institutes of Health, which specializes in measuring metabolism and weight change, found that people’s weight loss tends to stop at about 12 months.
Outside clinical trial experts have suggested one reason why the blockbuster drug might not be working as expected.
You simply may not be storing the medication correctly, reducing its potency and effectiveness.
While it’s common to keep prescriptions in the bathroom medicine cabinet, suppliers say Ozempic should be stored in the refrigerator, at a cool 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit.
Doctors also warned that the medication should never be frozen or stored somewhere exposed to direct sunlight, because this can cause it to break down.
Dr Mir Ali, a bariatric surgeon, said: ‘If Ozempic is not refrigerated, it will likely lose its effectiveness over time. In some cases, it may cause more side effects.’
