As a teen and into her 20s, Debra Wells-Hopey bought women害羞草研究所檚 magazines by the dozen and devoured all the articles about weight loss she could find.

She tried diet after diet and counted every calorie. When a diet finally worked, Wells-Hopey kept restricting her food intake until she found herself in the throes of anorexia nervosa.

Had Ozempic been around in her dieting days back in the 1980s and 害羞草研究所�90s, the Halifax woman, now 53, believes she would have taken it.

害羞草研究所淚t won害羞草研究所檛 cause an eating disorder because eating disorders are more complicated than that 害羞草研究所� there害羞草研究所檚 social, psychological and biological stuff going on,害羞草研究所� Wells-Hopey said.

But the act of restricting food often 害羞草研究所減ulls the trigger害羞草研究所� for people prone to eating disorders 害羞草研究所� so for them, Ozempic could be 害羞草研究所渁 one-way fast-track ticket,害羞草研究所� said Wells-Hopey, who recovered with hospital treatment and is now a program manager for Eating Disorders Nova Scotia.

The mass promotion of Ozempic and its sister drugs is feeding into a harmful 害羞草研究所渄iet culture害羞草研究所� and weight shaming in Canada, some eating disorders specialists say.

害羞草研究所淎ny time there害羞草研究所檚 mass media coverage about different strategies 害羞草研究所� to achieve short-term weight loss, that is obviously going to be something that is a trigger for our patients and clients,害羞草研究所� said Ali Eberhardt, a dietitian with B.C.害羞草研究所檚 provincial eating disorders program at St. Paul害羞草研究所檚 Hospital in Vancouver.

害羞草研究所淎ny time we have a lot of coverage about the idea that we will pursue thinness at any cost, it has detrimental mental and emotional impact.害羞草研究所�

Manufactured by Novo Nordisk, Ozempic is an injection approved by Health Canada for treating Type 2 diabetes. Its sister drug, Wegovy, has been approved for treating obesity but is not yet available in Canada. Because the active ingredient 害羞草研究所� semaglutide 害羞草研究所� is the same in both medications, some Canadian doctors have prescribed Ozempic off-label at higher doses for patients with obesity.

Endocrinologists, who specialize in metabolic disorders, have said that when prescribed for weight loss,both drugs are meant to treat obesity that threatens a patient害羞草研究所檚 health due to risks of cardiovascular disease and other concerns 害羞草研究所� not as a quick-fix way to trim down or get into shape. They have also said that people with obesity need to stay on the drugs for life.

Novo Nordisk has previously said that it does not endorse off-label use of Ozempic for weight loss.

But eating disorders specialists say Ozempic害羞草研究所檚 widespread promotion reinforces the message that weight loss should always be a goal. The drug is promoted in TV ads,on billboards, streetcar wraps and during sports games, and has also received unofficial endorsements from influencers online.

Health Canada has said that Novo Nordisk is in compliance with drug advertising regulations, because the ads give the drug害羞草研究所檚 name but do not say what it is for. Instead, the Ozempic ads tell people to 害羞草研究所渁sk your doctor.害羞草研究所�

But health experts have also said the ads, social media promotion and media coverage are so widespread that people know Ozempic is used for weight loss.

害羞草研究所�(Ozempic promotion is) just another example of how diet culture is telling us that we should lose weight if we can because living in a larger body is a bad thing. And that害羞草研究所檚 what keeps us in a cycle of diet culture,害羞草研究所� Wells-Hopey said.

Although Ozempic and Wegovy are only approved for adult use, advertising has also appeared in Canada for Saxenda, another drug manufactured by Novo Nordisk that works in a similar way to suppress appetite. Saxenda has been approved by Health Canada not only for adults, but also for children between 12 and 17 years of age who have obesity.

In a recent emailed statement to The Canadian Press, Novo Nordisk said Saxenda is only intended for adolescents with obesity who 害羞草研究所渕eet specific requirements害羞草研究所� and that its ongoing Saxenda marketing campaign is 害羞草研究所渋ntended for an adult audience.害羞草研究所�

Still, eating disorders specialists say the promotion of a weight-loss drug that is approved for teens is concerning.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 young people who come in lots of different shapes and sizes,害羞草研究所� said Dr. Leanna Isserlin, a psychiatrist with the eating disorders program at Ottawa pediatric hospital CHEO.

害羞草研究所淥nce you start inserting this thinking and advertising around the importance of weight loss, you start to cause people to think more about their weight and potentially be 害羞草研究所� ashamed or concerned or think that they need to change their weight using a medication as opposed to lifestyle changes,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淎dolescents are very vulnerable to messaging and media messages, so they害羞草研究所檙e a very high-risk population to begin with,害羞草研究所� Isserlin said.

害羞草研究所淪ometimes they can feel because they see it everywhere 害羞草研究所� it must be safe. Or (because) it害羞草研究所檚 everywhere it must be a really good thing.害羞草研究所�

Eberhardt, the dietitian in Vancouver, agreed.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e seeing eating disorders and body image concerns impacting, you know, kids younger and younger and younger,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所�(Society is) saying 害羞草研究所榶our body is a problem and really at any cost we will help you to change your body. Those are messages that stick with kids for their life,害羞草研究所� Eberhardt said.

Although the public hears more about anorexia and bulimia, the most common eating disorder is binge eating disorder (BED), Isserlin said.

People with BED often have difficulty accessing mental health services, and they often feel 害羞草研究所渟hame害羞草研究所� instead of recognizing that they have a 害羞草研究所渢rue害羞草研究所� psychological illness, she said.

Isserlin worries about people mistakenly thinking Ozempic is a way to deal with BED because it suppresses appetite, instead of getting treatment.

The danger of misusing medications has always been a concern when it comes to all eating disorders, she said, from using laxatives, diuretics and caffeine pills to misusing insulin or thyroid medications.

Now, the potential for misuse of Ozempic or Saxenda by people with eating disorders is an additional concern, Isserlin said.

害羞草研究所淲e have a good history to suggest that this does happen and that it害羞草研究所檚 really a risk with any of these types of products,害羞草研究所� she said.

Although Wells-Hopey recovered from anorexia, she said it害羞草研究所檚 still a battle, especially when she害羞草研究所檚 under stress, to quiet the thoughts that tell her she害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渢oo fat.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 think it is extremely difficult to live in the culture in which we do and not have disordered thinking around body image and your relationship with food,害羞草研究所� she said.

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