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Is Ozempic the new skinny pill?

By Reproto System Account ManagementFebruary 6, 2023February 9th, 2023No Comments

by Staci Compogins RD, MS, DrPh

As a Doctor of Public Health and a Registered Dietitian weight loss is always a topic that is ever changing. The simple diet and exercise to achieve weight loss seems too hard for most people due to their busy lifestyles. I have been involved with medical weight loss for about 8 years now and completed my dissertation in the medically monitored HCG diet (please email me if you have questions, it’s awesome!). Recently the topic of interest among researchers and those in the weight loss industry has been about Ozempic’s amazing weight loss results due to its popularity with Hollywood’s elite (of course..Kim Kardashian), many of us have heard about Ozempic’s popularity by now… So, what is this drug all about?

Ozempic, which you may have heard called semaglutide, is an FDA approved diabetes drug that is used to help treat people with type 2 diabetes. It helps manage and improve blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. Ozempic is also now being used off-label to help treat those who are overweight or obese lose significant amounts of weight ( it’s also being prescribed to individuals in the normal BMI range). Research has suggested that people who do take Ozempic lose significant amounts of weight while on a diet program.

The mechanism behind its weight loss abilities is that it helps those feel full, due to slowing down gastric emptying which leads up to regulating hormones in your brain that signal satiety. Ozempic comes as a liquid solution inside prefilled, disposable pens. The injections are weekly, and the dosage prescribed by the doctor is typically increased every four weeks, depending on your progress and blood sugar levels.

It seems like a simple fix but there are possible side effects when taking this drug or any drug…With that said, I would recommend taking Ozempic along with changing diet behaviors. I don’t think that taking Ozempic and continuing eating poorly is the right solution, but if you meet with a healthy care provider and implement lifestyle changes, this could be the magic pill you need to kick off your weight loss journey!

What is ozempic face? - by John Compoginis, M.D., F.A.C.S.

The increasingly popular weight loss drug “Ozempic” is showing significant promise in the world of weight loss. The off-label use of the diabetes drug has resulted in weight loss of 10-100 lbs rapidly and in refractory cases of obesity. Side effects, including what has been described as “Ozempic face” are now being reported.

Ozempic face specifically refers to the changes that occur in some patients who have quickly lost a significant amount of weight-usually more than 15 pounds. Rapid weight loss by any means (drugs, exercise, illness can have a similar side effect). Simply put the “Ozmepic face” is not unique to this
specific drug but instead is a potential outcome for anyone who loses a large amount of weight. We all have fat in the face and in very specific areas around the eyes and cheeks. With fluctuations in weight, increasing age and gravity these areas of fat naturally change.

A youthful face typically has taught skin and plump full fat pads, hence the popularity of facial fillers and facelifts. When weight is lost quickly and in large amounts the face can sag and look older. This is potentially more common in middle-aged and older patients. In those individuals the skin can lag behind in its response to lost fat. Skin may hang more loose on the neck and under the chin, hollowing may occur on the cheeks or temples, wrinkles become more prominent and the eyes can look more hollow with fat loss.

What is the bottom line? There is no magic pill that will solve all of our needs. Ozempic may be the answer for some individuals but undesired facial side effects may occur but luckily can be addressed. Below is a diagram of the normal fat pads in the face that can be affected by rapid weight loss. Many of these same fat pad areas can be volumized with filler products and fat grafting.

If you want to see if you can have any part of your body improved, contact us for a consultation:

For CA, please call 949-888-9700 or visit www.orangecountyplasticsurgery.com
Or for MA location, call 508-755-4825 or visit www.salisburyps.com

You can write to
Dr. John Compoginis at compoginis@ocps.com
Dr. Staci Compoginis at staci@ocps.com
Dr. Deborah Ekstrom at mds@salisburyps.com
or Dr. Juris Bunkis at bunkis@ocps.com