He missed his comfort zone.
An author who says he lost 42 pounds on Ozempic is sharing the “one risk” that he “didn’t see coming” — the psychological effect.
“For the first six months I was taking the drug, I was getting what I wanted — I was losing loads of weight, my back pain went away, all sorts of good things happened,” journalist Johann Hari told Today.com last week.
“But I didn’t actually feel better in my emotions. If anything, I felt slightly worse,” Hari went on. “I realized it was about my inability to comfort eat, and how bad that was making me feel.”
Hari recounts the highs and lows of taking Ozempic in his new book, “Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight-Loss Drugs.”
Hari began taking the injectable medication last year when when he reached 32% body fat and was weary of his family history of heart disease — and he eventually lost 42 pounds with Ozempic and its sister drug Wegovy.
Semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — mimics GLP-1, the hormone the body naturally produces after eating, so that users feel fuller for longer.
While he was thrilled with the results, Hari was alarmed by the psychological ramifications of the prescription medication.
His drastically reduced appetite compromised his ability to use food as a coping mechanism.
“I realized how much of my eating was about the need to comfort myself — stuffing myself to calm myself. And I couldn’t do that when I was on Ozempic,” he explained.
Hari likens his experience to that of Aladdin: “You find the lamp, rub it, the genie appears, grants your wishes and your wish comes true — but never quite in the way that you expected.”
He also sees himself as a subject in two “experiments.”
“I was part of the experiment that made us so much more obese,” he said, referencing the popularity of ultra-processed foods, which have fueled the growing obesity epidemic.
“And now I’m part of the experiment that’s reversing that, using drugs,” he added.
In addition to the psychological toll, Hari said he experienced an increased heart rate that left him feeling anxious.
He worries about potential problems down the line.
“Semaglutide has only been used for a bit more than two years now for people with obesity,” Hari reasoned. “We don’t know the long-term effects of taking [the drugs]. There’s a concern that maybe they’ll have some effect that we just don’t know, in the long term.”
An obesity medicine specialist in North Carolina pointed out to Today.com that GLP-1 drugs have been used to treat Type 2 diabetes for more than a decade.
Still, issues do arise — users of anti-obesity medications have reported side effects including erectile dysfunction, personality changes, uncomfortable gastrointestinal issues, an increase in reckless behavior and the dreaded, droopy reality of Ozempic butt and boobs.
Despite his fears and reservations, Hari said he plans to continue taking Ozempic.
“The benefits of these drugs outweigh my very real concerns about the long-term effects,” he shared.
Rachel Carter is a health and wellness expert dedicated to helping readers lead healthier lives. With a background in nutrition, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being.
