When a Twitter follower praised Elon Musk’s new “awesome, fit, ripped and healthy” look, the billionaire entrepreneur replied that his secret was “fasting” and “Wegovy.” Given society’s obsession with celebrities and weight loss and Musk’s massive following on Twitter, a viral tweet was born.
Increasingly, Wegovy, Ozempic and other diabetic drugs are being touted by influencers on social media as fast ways to lose weight. The injectable drugs come with a steep price tag, costing as much as $1,000 a month.
Below, Adam Gilden, MD, MSCE, associate director of the University of Colorado Weight Management and Wellness Clinic at the CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, talks about these drugs. In his practice, Gilden, an associate professor of internal medicine at the CU School of Medicine, focuses on helping patients lose weight, especially those with conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol and arthritis.