Ozempic Side Effect That Worries Nutritionists Most

In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne opened up about her 42-pound weight loss on Ozempic, discussing some of the side effects she said she experienced taking the drug and issuing a warning. "At first, I mean, you feel nauseous," Sharon Osbourne said. "You don't throw up physically, but you've got that feeling," she said. Osbourne added that she endured a few weeks "where I felt nauseous the whole time" and said she was also often thirsty but had no desire to eat. She added that the lack of desire is "why I keep saying you've got to keep this stuff away from younger people because they will go berserk on it, and it's not right." Other nutritionists have also expressed concern over the "wonder" drug – including one side effect that worries them the most. 

Gabriella Peacock, whose client list includes Princess Beatrice, Dame Joan Collins, Charlotte Tilbury, James Blunt, and Yasmin Le Bon, explains that she is used to clients coming in promoting fads, like keto, paleo, celery juice, or glucose monitoring. 

"I've seen first-hand the dangerous methods people will use to get or stay thin. Usually, I'll laugh off these fads, knowing the worst-case scenario is that they won't work," she says in her recent interview with The Telegraph. 

However, she maintains that she has "never seen anything catch on as fast and furiously as Ozempic: the 'wonder drug' and 'magic wand.' And this is one fad I'm not prepared to laugh off because I believe it may be jeopardizing that future," she says. 

She maintains that the semaglutide drug "invented to help type 2 diabetics regulate blood glucose levels" is being "shockingly over-prescribed – off-label." Sure, "there's a place on the health market for semaglutide drugs, which have been proven to be effective in treating chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity, and both Ozempic and Wegovy are very clear about their prescriptive guidelines," she told The Telegraph. 

"It's the unscrupulous private doctors and online pharmacies who are to blame for the drug's current abuse. They're the ones cynically preying on vulnerable individuals who are desperate to lose weight at all costs," she explains in the interview. 

She continues to note that side effects include "short-term discomforts such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation" and even "possible thyroid tumors, including cancer."

But the most significant side effect? "Try this: what if the drug we're all so giddy with excitement over was taking years off your life? As someone with a special interest in longevity, who has spent the past two years researching the real, sustainable hacks to a long and healthy life for my new book, 2 Weeks To A Younger You, I'm astonished by the degree to which we are ignoring what may turn out to be the most noxious side-effect of all," she told The Telegraph. 

"To be clear, semaglutide is an appetite suppressant, pure and simple. Yes, it also slows down gastric emptying – a natural part of digestion – which is not bad in itself, but the drastic weight loss we are witnessing in those who are injecting themselves weekly with the drug is caused first and foremost by good old-fashioned calorie-restriction."

She explains that this type of weight loss is unsustainable and likely reduces muscle mass, changes body composition, and results in nutritional deficiencies. "I'm not just talking about the vitamins and minerals that are essential for our mood, energy, sleep, and cognitive function, but also protein, which is the building block our body needs to create healthy, glowing skin, strong nails and glossy hair, and essential fats," she says. It can also impact hormones. 

"Lean muscle isn't just a crucial factor in helping women through that difficult period of their lives. It protects all of us from an array of conditions and diseases as we age, from joint issues and osteoporosis to Alzheimer's and poor cognitive function. It also regulates our metabolisms. Yet here we are, pressing fast-forward on the internal aging process and potentially inviting a whole host of health problems into our future lives," she says. 

She also points out that appetite suppressants don't address the underlying reasons for excess weight or help change the quality of your diet. "Oh, and by the way, when you start eating again – which you will at some point – you will put on weight. Fast," she says. 

 RELATED: Surprising Signs You've Already Had COVID

The diet she promotes in her book doesn't "ban either food groups or alcohol" and also promotes intermittent fasting. "Because while sustained calorie restriction is bad for us, short periods of fasting have been proven not just to promote healthy weight loss, but help with concentration levels, energy, sleep, hormonal balance and, crucially, longevity."