Have you heard of Ozempic? This \u201cmiracle\u201d weight-loss drug is all over social media. Television and radio ads are promoting it as the easy way to lose weight without changing your lifestyle.<\/p>\n
Even people who once preached body positivity now have obvious \u201cOzempic face.\u201d Sunken eyes, gaunt cheeks and aging skin are signs of damaging attempts to change their bodies.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Ozempic body\u2019 is the new \u2018heroin chic\u2019 in the world of celebrity\u2014and the fact that it\u2019s trickling down to the masses should concern everyone,\u201d the New York Post<\/a> wrote on December 3. \u201cThe thinness is alarming, and it could have catastrophic consequences for how younger generations view their bodies\u2014and look after their health.\u201d<\/p>\n Ozempic was not created as a weight-loss drug. It was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as a Type 2 diabetes medication for altering blood sugar levels. But one side effect is appetite suppression, which can trigger rapid weight loss.<\/p>\n Ozempic\u2019s other potential side effects include \u201cnausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach (abdominal) pain and constipation,\u201d \u201clow blood sugar,\u201d \u201cdehydration leading to kidney problems,\u201d \u201csevere stomach problems,\u201d \u201cserious allergic reactions,\u201d \u201cgallbladder problems,\u201d \u201cinflammation of your pancreas,\u201d \u201cchanges in vision,\u201d \u201cpossible thyroid tumors, including cancer.\u201d That comes directly from the Ozempic.com homepage.<\/p>\n People have a choice: quick weight loss with Ozempic and face a host of side effects\u2014or eat better and exercise more. Many are choosing the former, and paying $1,000 a month to Novo Nordisk A\/S for the privilege.<\/p>\n Celebrities, Instagram influencers and everyday Americans are celebrating their slimmed-down physiques while ignoring the dangers of the drug.<\/p>\n The coronavirus vaccination era desensitized many Americans to perpetual cycles of booster shots. Now you can get a few more injections and experience \u201cmiracle\u201d weight loss. What\u2019s not to love?<\/p>\n Studies of the American obesity crisis show that 40<\/a> to 75<\/a> percent of the adult U.S. population is overweight or obese. While results vary depending on the studies\u2019 definitions of obesity, one thing is certain: Our society has a serious problem with unhealthy weight.<\/p>\n President Donald Trump boasted during a December 2 cabinet meeting that his administration has lowered the price of Ozempic, Wegovy and other prescription \u201cfat drugs for fat people.\u201d He takes it for granted that making these pharmaceuticals more accessible to everyday Americans is an accomplishment.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a tragedy!<\/p>\n As the president\u2019s own Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has emphasized, the horrible health crisis suffered by the current generation of Americans is a result, and it has a cause. That cause is our indulgent and horrible health habits!<\/p>\n Kennedy and a few others are finally bringing at least some acknowledgement of the painful truth and some sanity regarding cause and effect to the federal government. But \u201cmake America healthy again\u201d is still just a slogan if the president, the rest of the government and, much more importantly, the people continue to cause ill health, then mask the effects with pharmaceutical potions.<\/p>\n \u201c[T]hou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness \u2026.\u201d That\u2019s how Deuteronomy 32:15 describes the nations of Israel, which, in our generation, includes the Americans and the British, among others. This can apply literally, but the main meaning is that we are thickened and dulled in our thinking. Even when our pharmaceutical \u201csolutions\u201d are forced to tell us up front that we are paying $1,000 per month for another dose of what effectively might be a carcinogen, we won\u2019t stop indulging in excessive and rich foods, leisure, relaxation, entertainment and lack of exercise.<\/p>\n We want the easy road. We want the quick fix. We want the miracle drug.<\/p>\n Battling obesity with drugs instead of the biblical principle of turning away from the cause of obesity is thick, childish reasoning.<\/p>\n