Health

Doctors warn against teens and young adults using drugs like Ozempic to lose weight

By Mallika Marshall, MD

March 21, 2024 / 5:33 PM EDT / CBS Boston

Doctors warn against teens, young adults using weight loss drugs just to drop pounds

BOSTON - Experts are concerned that teens and young adults may be seeking weight loss drugs for the wrong reasons.

A lot of people want to get in shape this time of year before they hit the beach, but according to WebMD, some experts are worried that teens and young adults may be turning to drugs like Ozempic simply to look good in a bikini.

Doctors say these medications should not be seen as the first or best option to lose weight, especially if someone only wants to shed 5 or 10 pounds or tone a certain area, like the belly. When used inappropriately, these drugs can cause unwanted side effects and could make someone look older.

Instead, young people should make sure they are eating healthy foods and getting enough exercise and should resist comparing their bodies to others which can lead to low self-esteem and poor body image.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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