Ozempic’s Long-Lasting Hunger Control: Does it Work?

On Mar 27, 2025

Understanding Ozempic, Weight Loss and the Role of Intuitive Eating

The Buzz Around Ozempic

As soon as actress Mindy Kaling appeared on the Oscars red carpet, flaunting what seemed to be a significant weight loss, a flurry of social media chatter commenced. The Twitter remark by Alexis Wilson attributing Kaling’s transformation to Ozempic, a diabetes injection drug, added fuel to the fire. This drug is so popular that it even found a mention in Jimmy Kimmel’s Oscars night opening monologue.

Ozempic and Its Effects

Originally intended for diabetes patients, Ozempic shares the same chemical composition as Wegovy, a medication for obesity. Wegovy gained attention when Elon Musk declared he was using it to achieve a fit and healthy appearance. Both medicines work by mimicking GLP-1, a hormone that boosts the body’s insulin production, explains Dr. Deborah Oh, an endocrinologist with Sharp HealthCare in San Diego.

How Does Ozempic Work?

“The hormone on which these drugs are based has multiple action sites. In addition to promoting insulin, it also acts on the brain to reduce feelings of hunger,” explains Dr. Oh. “It slows down food digestion in the GI tract, thereby increasing satiety.”

As a result, your body digests food more slowly, and patients who take it report barely feeling hungry or having to remind themselves to eat. However, this popularity has led to a shortage of the medications, affecting those suffering from diabetes or obesity who genuinely require them. Also, getting insurance coverage for the drugs can be challenging, leading to out-of-pocket expenses exceeding $1,000 per month. The medication can also cause a phenomenon known as “Ozempic face,” where skin sagging due to rapid weight loss makes the face appear older.

Side Effects of Ozempic

Moreover, Dr. Oh warns about the intense side effects of these drugs. “They can cause severe nausea and vomiting, as they act on the GI tract. In severe cases, they can trigger pancreatitis, an inflammatory condition that can lead to hospitalization and serious complications,” she says.

Intuitive Eating vs. Ozempic

While Ozempic has been touted as a part of the anti-diet movement, the intuitive eating approach is quite the opposite. It is a simple food philosophy pioneered by two nutritionists in the 1990s. The idea is to eat when you are hungry and stop eating when you are full. The only rule is to pay attention to how your body feels, and you will not overeat.

Gaining Popularity of Intuitive Eating

Today, intuitive eating is gaining more attention thanks to its alignment with the anti-diet backlash and body acceptance culture. Celebrities like Demi Lovato, Lena Dunham, and Jennifer Lawrence have embraced it, and the hashtag #intuitiveeating has been used billions of times on TikTok.

Intuitive Eating vs. Diet Drugs

However, the difference between intuitive eating and drugs like Ozempic is significant. While intuitive eating teaches you to heed your body’s hunger cues, drugs like Ozempic suppress your hunger entirely or significantly. Therefore, intuitive eating is about trusting your body’s needs, while these drugs are about masking your body’s signals.

Co-authors of Intuitive Eating

Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, co-authors of Intuitive Eating, believe that the renewed interest in their philosophy arises from the anti-diet backlash and the social justice movement of 2020. They argue that people are tired of being told they must be thin to be acceptable and reject the obsession with food and weight. Their philosophy empowers people to eat what they want and accept their bodies as they are.

Conclusion

Intuitive eating and drugs like Ozempic represent opposing views in the ongoing discussion about body image, weight loss, and health. While one promotes body acceptance and natural eating cues, the other advocates medical intervention to control hunger and weight. The debate suggests a need for more comprehensive, inclusive conversations about health and wellness.