I Was Shamed for Being Overweight. Now I'm Being Shamed for Taking Ozempic

[Coventina]

Christian Miller, the founder of Discover Italy, says trying to achieve a healthy weight was a difficult challenge throughout his early 20s.

During that time, people — none of whom were healthcare professionals — told him to eat less. Others compared him to animals, and even waiters would sometimes make snarky comments when he ordered food.

“It was difficult living in an obese body because I felt like people were judging me for something out of my control,” says Miller. “They would call me by names or tell me to lose weight, which made me feel like I was never going to get better. It took a long time for me to come to terms with my condition and start taking action to take control of my health and life.”

That time came when Miller was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. A doctor prescribed Ozempic (semaglutide) to help him manage his blood sugar and weight.

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/i-was-shamed-for-being-overweight-now-im-being-shamed-for-taking-ozempic#Why-are-people-being-shamed-for-taking-Ozempic-and-Wegovy?

Fat people just can't win. If you're fat, you fail. If you lose weight the "wrong way" you fail.

[NutmegYankee]

1. It really is a form of bigotry.

Medical research has shown that obesity is a disease of the mind and endocrine system. The reason surgical weight loss is so effective is the brain is retrained to deal with a new sized stomach and the hormones for hunger are greatly reduced.

But despite all of the clear scientific evidence to the contrary, society still acts like it is irresponsible behavior or a lack of willpower.

[Bettie]

2. And we should be able to do like everyone else does;

live our lives and exist in the world without everyone and his dog feeling that it is their job to comment on the bodies of others.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. This.

[MLAA]

6. Amen!

Everyone should be able to live their own life without a peanut gallery.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. Body shaming has become a pastime for some.

All types can be victimized by it, and while most bigotry and discrimination are against those who are (or seem to be) overweight, those who are thin also get a fair share of body shaming. It also affects men, women, and children. When other factors are included, like race and sexual orientation, it can even be more insidious and damning.

[nolabear]

5. I'm deeply troubled by how much weight loss surgery is pushed.

My sister damn near died from it. She had to have four corrective surgeries. She lost a lot of weight eventually but looks scary as some do who’ve lost weight rapidly.

In fact I know four other people who’ve had it and none of the results were great. Three regained and one has ongoing gastric issues.

As I’ve noted here I’m taking Wegovy. You have to titrate up to a weight loss dosage and I’m having to take it slow because of side effects, not to mention difficulty getting it. I’ve never eaten anywhere near what my thin husband does, nor numerous people I know. The Wegovy pretty much kills my interest in food, which is interesting.

[MLAA]

7. May you get to wherever you want to be healthfully and happily

[nolabear]

8. Thanks! Mine is a desire to stay mobile.

Old knees, you know.

[Deep State Witch]

18. I know someone that had it

It fucked up his digestive system so badly that he had to go on disability, and later died because of it.

[Casady1]

9. I marvel at how effective Ozempic is

I was watching Charles Barkley and he said he took a shot every week and he was losing weight rapidly. I ais "what" and then I learned about Ozempic.

For the truly obese it is great. For people 25 pounds overweight it really is all about intake.

[Jirel]

15. This statement is really ignorant.

What do you think Wegovy does? It MAKES PEOPLE NOT WANT TO EAT. In other words, rapid weight loss on Wegovy is all about INTAKE. Nothing else, period. I’m on it. I know how it works.

Wegovy is all about intake, whether it’s 109 lbs a person needs to lose, or 25. Literally all it does is make a person not care about food and, you know, eat less.

[Casady1]

17. 25 pounds

On a person who should 175 is not that hard to lose. It does take some will power.
I am 10 pounds from my goal. I have lost 15.
I have worked at controlling my eating. 25 pounds is not obese.
I did not try to insult you. Obviously you took it that way.

[JanMichael]

10. What burns me up are men that use TRT that don't actually need it.

Anytime I see an over 60 guy that is bulked up AND under 10% body fat, with popping traps, I know. It's either legal testosterone or illegal steroids.

I can starve myself down to that, less the popping traps, but it is not sustainable.

The people that are using wegovy and other similar drugs to lose massive weight are doing the right thing.

Although when it becomes a pill that you can take instead of a shot I might use it just to trim down the core.

[GPV]

11. Yeah, needs to be a pill for me too.

[maxsolomon]

12. I'm not shaming him for Ozempic use.

I'm jealous.

[Jirel]

13. It's a lot of horses**t.

You can be ok with being overweight, or you can hate it passionately and hate how it looks as well as feels (like me). But you don’t get to level your personal opinions on others. It’s especially problematic when the same people with strong opinions about *others* being overweight also have strong opinions on how *others* should lose that weight.

The only appropriate response is “Mind your own business, nitwit!”

[LetMyPeopleVote]

14. I am a type II diabetic and I am on Trulicity which is a weaker cousin of Ozempic

I have been on both long lasting and fast acting insulin and a drug called Victoza for a while. Several months ago my endocrinologist moved me to the lowest doze of Trulicity and stopped the Victoza. Trulicity is in the same class of drugs as Ozempic but has been out since 2014. My AIC went from 6.3 to 5.3 and my endocrinologist has cut back my insulin dosages.

I have been seeing the specialty ophthalmologist twice a year for 15 or so years due to concerns about diabetic retinopathy. I have been under good diabetes control for a while, but the ophthalmologist keeps threatening to move my appointments to three or four times a year. I had an ophthalmologist appointment today and we discussed changes in my medications. My ophthalmologist's spouse is an endocrinologist and he told me that Trulicity has a great track record and that some type II diabetics are able to ween themselves off of all insulin. I have read the same material. Since I have cut back on insulin dosages for both the fast acting and long-acting forms, I am hopeful that I can ween myself off insulins without going to Ozempic or the other stronger variations. Ozempic is in the same family of drugs as Trulicity but is stronger on blood sugar levels and weight loss.

After doing the normal tests, the ophthalmologist was worried about the pressure in one eye and so they did the dye contrast test where they inject dye into my veins to get better pictures of the eye. I last did this test in 2016. After examining the pictures from the dye job, I was told that my diabetes control is amazing and that I only have to see the ophthalmologist once a year.

These drugs work. Trulicity is an older drug and has less impact on blood sugars and weight loss compared to Ozempic. I have lost 20 to 30 pounds on Trulicity and I am happy with this drug. I have an appointment with my endocrinologist next month and he may increase the Trulicity dosage. I have no issue with people taking these drugs for the purposes of controlling diabetes.

I have also read about the use of these drugs for weight loss and this is another proper use of these medications.

[vercetti2021]

16. I was shamed for fasting

A few friends and I mean a few use to be friends shamed me saying it was unhealthy to go without eating for long periods and I should diet the old fashion way. Also these same friends also went transphobic on top of it to add fuel to the fire. Well who's laughing now? People need to fuck off and either be supportive or go take a flying fuck off a bridge when it comes to what people do in regardless to weight loss or choices in life.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

19. The only time I have a problem with people using Ozempic

Or the new drug, Mounjaro, is when they use it solely for diet reasons, not for diabetes, and make it hard for diabetics to get it when they need it. That happened a couple of times for me with Ozempic, and it was no fun having to wait for supplies to come in and get priority for it.

So many people have been abusing the system with vanity prescriptions for Mounjaro that my local pharmacy now requires medical documentation stating that anyone wanting a scrip filled through there needs to have a medical history of having Type 2 diabetes, such as taking other diabetic meds in the past, like metformin. Scared me half to death when I got the letter--It was forever ago that I took metformin, and I didn't recognize any of the other meds...

One call to the chemist cleared it all up: They had my history of using metformin on file, already. Blame the parent company for they letter--they had insisted on sending it to every Mounjaro patient, diabetic or not, to let them know that vanity scrips were no longer allowed, to protect the supply, sorry for scaring you.

Yeah, a healthy weight is a good thing to shoot for, but it probably won't kill you a week or month from now. Meanwhile, not having access to these drugs can cause imminent death for many diabetics. Maybe not immediate, but sooner rather than later. We need these meds, or we wouldn't be taking them, believe me.