Understand what “Ozempic head” is, a term that went viral on the networks

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Medicines for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and weight loss, with semaglutide as the active ingredient, have become increasingly popular around the world. These are the cases of Ozempic and Wegovy, associated with visible results. The bodily changes can be such that the internet created the term “Ozempic head”, a supposed adverse effect of weight loss. He is different from “Ozempic’s face”.

When a celebrity or influencer appears, “out of nowhere”, thin, the internet court assumes that that person used Ozempic or some similar medication to lose weight — for ordinary people, the treatment is still not very accessible, as it costs, in around one thousand reais per month in Brazil.

This weight loss linked to weight loss pens can be easily “discovered” if the body proportions are well “analyzed”. Among the main signs is the “Ozempic head”, as shown by hundreds of videos on TikTok and Instagram, as well as posts on X. Most of the time, the content of the posts is negative and, despite the allegations, it is not possible affirm, with certainty, that that particular person lost weight using the medicine. Everything is based on assumptions.

Is Ozempic Head a side effect?

Before proceeding, it is necessary to make it clear: Ozempic headache is not an adverse effect considered in the leaflets of these medications, as the formula helps control the feeling of satiety, but does not directly modify the face. The issue is that, with weight loss, the head can stand out, as if it were disproportionate to the rest of the body — individuals who have had bariatric surgery can report a similar sensation, for example.

For the newspaper USA Today, Judy Korner, an endocrinologist and professor at Columbia University, says that people are focusing on the wrong issue. The emphasis needs to be on people who use medicines correctly, as indicated and according to medical prescription, and “whose health has improved because of this”. Excess weight is related to different health complications, including cancer.

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Other expressions that went viral

It is worth remembering that this is not the first time that the supposed side effects of Ozempic have gone viral on the networks. Previously, the following expressions have been used:

• “Face of Ozempic”: term used to talk about the loss of fat in the face, which supposedly makes the face droopy;
• “Ozempic Finger”: expression that refers to the thinning of the fingers, which can cause a strange appearance;
• “Ozempic Butt”: refers to the loss of fat in the glutes. When weight loss is not accompanied by a routine of physical activities and muscle strengthening, the region can become “droopy”.

If you want to know the real side effects of Ozempic, Wegovy and other medications that have semagalutide as an active ingredient, it’s worth checking the complete list. This includes nausea and vomiting, for example.

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Source: USA Today