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The drug Ozempic has been trending and lingering in the headlines for a minute, stirring controversy over its unintended uses and its accessibility to many as a drastic weight loss tool.
The drug is FDA-approved to treat type-2 diabetes, but many have been getting the drug prescribed to help them lose weight as it makes users feel fuller, eat less and reduce appetite.
While many are open about using the drug for its weight loss side-effects, others criticize the use of Ozempic for anything other than improving blood sugar in adults with type-2 diabetes.
One such person is Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner, who has been outspoken in the past about struggling with eating disorders.
In 2019, Turner opened up to The Times UKabout her struggles with body image and attempting to conform to Hollywood's beauty standards at a young age:
"I was too aware of my body at a young age."
"It took over my mind, it was all I would think about - calorie counting, everything."
The actor shared a screenshot of a tweet calling out ads featured in the Times Square subway station of the use of Ozempic for weight loss.
She added:
"WTF"
@sophiet/Instagram
The original tweet, posted by @svershbow (Sophie Vershbow) contained the caption:
"The ozempic ads plastered across the Times Square subway station can f**k all the way off."
Many on Twitter called out the brand for its marketing toward weight loss versus its intended target.
Some even claimed that, due to the drug's new-found popularity, patients with diabetes are struggling to get their prescriptions filled.
Model Charli Howard also took to Instagram to share her disgust over the ads, stating she was, "Genuinely gobsmacked that injections MEANT FOR DIABETES SUFFERERS are being marketed on posters as a weight loss tool. 🫠."
She added:
"As anyone with an insane eating disorder will tell you, I was beyond caring about the possible dangers of unprescribed medication. As long as I looked 'good.'"
"I could've died or ended up in a hospital and wouldn't have cared."
"I can't begin to tell you how stupid taking medication that isn't prescribed for you is, but as someone who is still recovering, I know young girls will see these posters and see it as a quick fix."
@charlihoward/Instagram
Howard finished her post:
"... I worry we’re falling back into toxic times - and truly hope young women won’t take drastic measures."
"You have one body: please take care of it."
"I’ve seen so many lives ruined because of anorexia and society’s obsession with being thin. 💔"