Actress Ashley Benson is taking online critics to task after claims she is using the drug, Ozempic, to lose baby weight.
The 34-year-old took to social media to shut down the rumors, four months after the birth of her daughter on Feb. 29.
A string of comments on a recent Instagram photo left users questioning her appearance and how quickly she lost weight.
“I know a lot of people take ozempic and that’s totally fine. To each their own. But don’t discredit people who also work very hard to get their body back like I’ve done with mine,” she wrote.
While she said the comments did not discourage her, Ms. Benson wanted to set the record straight and credited her success to health and fitness expert Melissa Wood-Tepperberg.
“Getting back to work forced me to focus on my health and working out and I wanted to feel confident and good about myself,” she added.
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The medication has become especially popular in Hollywood for helping celebrities achieve rapid weight loss results, but it is not the end all be all for some health-focused stars.
Food Network host and restaurateur, Guy Fieri, has faced the same speculation following his weight-loss transformation, with many automatically turning to Ozempic as the cause.
The 56-year-old lost over 30 pounds during the last four years, but strictly due to a combination of intermittent fasting, high-intensity workout training, and modifying his diet.
Best known for his show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” Mr. Fieri would indulge in the best “greasy spoon” eateries across the nation but admits he now has to abstain from his food intake while filming, taking a few bites on camera and skipping dinner.
Speaking to Men’s Health magazine, Mr. Fieri elaborated on his new health regimen, noting he only eats between noon and 8 p.m. and is dedicated to his workouts.
“Once I started getting more serious about [intermittent fasting], the quantity of food I was eating, and exercise, it really changed the whole thing.”
“It wasn’t as gnarly as you might think. I’m not a big breakfast fan, I still eat what I want to eat. But I just don’t eat as much of it,” he added.
Mr. Fieri credits his sons, Hunter and Ryder, for giving him the motivation he needed to make a lifestyle change. He notes it was much more than creating a better physique, but more so living a long and healthy life alongside his kids.
“I’m in better shape now than I was when I was 30. I don’t want to die young. I want to be around for my kids. I want to be around for Hunter and Ryder’s kids,” he told People.
What Is Ozempic?
Also known as semaglutide—the active ingredient in the drug—Ozempic is used to treat type 2 diabetes in adults that is not satisfactorily controlled.Along with diet and exercise, it can reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes with known heart disease.
In recent years, the medication has increased in popularity for treating obesity or helping patients lose weight in a shorter time frame.
It is typically an injectable prescription administered weekly, and works with the pancreas in producing more insulin when blood sugar is high, helps prevent the liver from making and releasing too much sugar, and slows down the time in which food leaves the stomach.
The most common side effects include issues with the digestive system, such as diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Doctors typically start patients on a lower dose before gradually building up, to minimize these side effects.
Overweight and obesity are defined as “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.” According to the World Health Organization, a body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese.
As of 2022, 1 in 8 people in the world were living with obesity. 2.5 billion people ages 18 and older were overweight, and about 37 million children under the age of 5 were also reportedly overweight.
