Canadians are taking Ozempic, but stigma around weight stops them talking about it

The shame and stigma attached to body size and obesity has crept into the use of weight-loss medications like Ozempic, says a woman who has struggled with her weight for years. 

"People have very strong opinions about people who aren't able to lose weight … [they] just think people that are overweight are lazy and not trying to do anything," said Edmonton woman Raegan Sather.

Sather has tried several things to lose weight over the last decade, from working out with a personal trainer to putting herself on strict diets. But she only got the results she wanted when she started taking Ozempic last summer.

"Don't think that people on this drug haven't tried everything else to do that. This is just a really great tool to help us," she told The Current's Matt Galloway. 

Ozempic, the brand name for the generic drug Semaglutide, is officially used to treat diabetes. It imitates a hormone that promotes insulin production, but became popular among celebrities and social media influencers for its other ability: managing appetite. It can be prescribed off label for weight loss in Canada — though experts have warned it's not a quick fix. 

But that stigma around weight loss has meant that some celebrities — and some ordinary Canadians — take the medication in secret. On a recent TV show, comedian Amy Schumer called out Hollywood stars obfuscating their sudden weight loss. 

"Everyone's lying, everyone's like, 'Oh, smaller portions!' — like shut the f–k up, you're on Ozempic," she told talk show host Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live.

For Sather, the impact of taking the medication has been "life-changing." But she says she doesn't see it as a magic weight-loss medication, but rather as a tool to help her make healthier choices.

She thinks more open conversations about using it that way could help fight the stigma. 

"I think, you know, if a celebrity were to come out and admit that they're using it to help them, it would go a long way," she said.

"But instead, they're allowing that voice of shame to overtake that, unfortunately."

Health Canada has noted an increased demand for Ozempic — but not everyone who lives in what society considers a larger body thinks taking Ozempic is the right path for them.

Joanie Pietracupa said her doctor has offered her the drug on two or three occasions. 

She wasn't interested, but the physician added a note to Pietracupa's file in case she changed her mind.