Kelly Osbourne is under fire for comments critics are calling “classist” after praising diabetes medication Ozempic. Ozempic is one of several medications used to control blood sugar among type 2 diabetes patients but has been picked up by celebrities as a tool for weight loss. Mounjaro is also popular among celebrities for weight loss.
Kelly’s mother, Sharon Osbourne, also took Ozempic not for type 2 diabetes but for weight loss, but recently swore it off due to debilitating side effects, including a gaunt appearance and excessive weight loss. The use of Ozempic for weight loss has come under fire recently and Kelly is facing scrutiny for suggesting this criticism is due to people’s incomes.
Kelly Osbourne faces criticism for her comments on people’s financial situation and using Ozempic
The FDA approved Ozempic for the treatment of type 2 diabetes back in 2017. Ozempic is not FDA-approved to treat weight loss, but semaglutide is approved for weight loss under the separate brand name Wegovy.
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Sharon voiced regret over using the diabetes medication Ozempic for weight loss after finding herself unable to keep weight on. In contrast, her daughter Kelly is praising the injection as “amazing.”
“There are a million ways to lose weight,” she continued, “why not do it through something that isn’t as boring as working out?” In the face of critics denouncing her use of Ozempic for weight loss, she added, “People hate on it because they want to do it and the people who hate on it the most are the people who are secretly doing it or pissed off that they can’t afford it. Unfortunately, right now it’s something that is very expensive, but it eventually won’t be because it actually works.”
Patients and advocates have slammed Kelly Osbourne’s comments on Ozempic use
Kelly’s comments have gone viral online, generating further criticism against her use of Ozempic for weight loss, when it is approved of for type 2 diabetes.
“Isn’t Ozempic diabetes medication?” one user on Twitter wondered, adding, “Shouldn’t it be used to, you know, keep people with diabetes alive?”
Another proposed, “i think kelly osbourne should come work in a pharmacy for a week and explain to the diabetics why they can’t get their meds.” This is in relation to the supply chain issue drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro have faced repeatedly over the years because celebrity endorsements drive patients to ask their providers for these injections for weight loss.
“Mind you, it was created for diabetic people,” another critic chimed in. In response, one user replied, “like??? and she’s making it seem like it’s an aesthetic, i have to laugh.” Another comment reads, “Diabetic patients are now waiting for their prescriptions.”
Others have pointed out that, historically, many tools or medications were designed for one purpose and were discovered to have another. To this, another user countered, “the people that need it can’t afford it BECAUSE of the rich people using it tho…. they’re literally driving the demand and prices up. you can’t just say ‘oh well it’s just another medication people can’t afford’ bc they’re literally actively making it worse for their own benefit.”