Why we should heed warnings about weight loss jabs

Embarking on the quest to lose weight can be a risky business. Yo-yo dieting, compulsive binging, muscle wasting and brain fog are just some of the many challenges that have waylaid dieters over the years. But now, thanks to the arrival of seductive weight loss drugs promising a quick fix, calorie counters are facing more contemporary health problems – from extreme discomfort, organ dysfunction and even death. Just this week, an inquest heard that Breeda O’Donoghue, a 66-year-old grandmother from Cork, Ireland passed away from multiple organ failure after taking Ozempic for diabetes and weight loss. But she’s far from the only person who has experienced devastating – and fatal – complications from the drug. 

Most often referred to by its brand name Ozempic, this semaglutide medication fascinated the Western world after it emerged that, as well as treating diabetes, it could be used to aid weight loss. How does it work? Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist – which simply means that it binds to the GLP-1 hormone to propagate its effects.