Nutrition Center advises caution in using Ozempic, Wegovy for weight loss
The Nutrition Center warns people who want to lose weight not to take medication too lightly. “It may seem easy, but do not underestimate the consequences,” director Petra Verhoef told Trouw about drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
The center also cautioned against viewing appetite suppressants as a one-size-fits-all solution for obesity. “If we as a society start thinking: we have medication for those who are overweight, then that suggests: let the rest hang,” Vehroef said.
Doing so could result in less attention being paid to prevention, such as healthier eating and regular exercise, she warned. “It is precisely prevention that should be central: ensuring that we all deal consciously with food and can make healthy choices.” The director of the Nutrition Center also expressed her concerns about people using medication without medical supervision.
On Wednesday, the National Poison Information Center (NVIC) reported that the number of poisonings with weight loss medication increased significantly last year, from 41 reports in 2023 to 75 last year. 29 cases involved people using medication without a prescription.
The NVIC expects the actual number of people getting sick from the incorrect use of these drugs to be much higher because health providers are not obliged to report suspected poisonings.
