Trump makes ‘ridiculous’ comment about 'fat pill' Ozempic after claiming he doesn’t see results
Topics: News, US News, Donald Trump
Gerrard Kaonga
Featured Image Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Topics: News, US News, Donald Trump
Donald Trump has been criticized for his comments about Ozempic he made in a press briefing earlier this week.
President Trump has been ridiculed for how he characterized the diabetic drug Ozempic.
He spoke in the Oval Office with RFK Jr on Monday (23 September) and questioned the effectiveness of the drug.
He also claimed that he refers to the drug as the ‘fat pill’ despite that not being its intended use.
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The injectable GLP-1 drug was approved to treat people with type 2 diabetes back in 2017.
It has surged in popularity in recent years as some celebrities have endorsed it and said it allowed them to lose weight.
Taken weekly, Ozempic works by regulating blood sugar and encouraging the pancreas to make more insulin.
This curbs appetite and results in weight loss. But that's not what Ozempic was made for.
There are plenty of similar drugs signed off for that very purpose - including Mounjaro, Wegovy and Saxenda.
Speaking at the press conference, Trump complained about the drug prices in America and said: “From $1,300 for a shot of... like an Ozempic or... I call it the fat pill or the fat drug.
“Sometimes it works for people, the ones I've seen, it hasn’t worked so well.
“A lot of friends, they are fat, they say ‘yeah I’ve lost some weight’ - I say ‘you don’t look it to me’.
“But they paid $1300, $1200 and they go to London and they pay $88, then they call me and ask what is this all about."
Some people on social media took issue with Trump’s comment and argued he should not be giving medical advice and should leave it up to medical professionals.
With one user writing: “What in the ever loving F*** is wrong with this guy? With each passing day, the bull**** coming out of his mouth gets more & more ridiculous. How much more are we going to be forced to endure? And ozempic isn't a fat drug. It's diabetic medication.”
Another wrote: “Trump calls Ozempic ‘the fat pill’ and admits it ‘hasn’t worked well’ for some. Reality: it’s a legit diabetes and weight-loss drug, not a magic fix.”
A third added: “I'm not a big fan of Ozempic, but he is in no position to be giving advice about pharmaceuticals.”
And another simply adding: “Ozempic was created as a type 2 diabetes medication. Not a fat pill.”
Most interestingly, despite questioning the drug's effectiveness, his administration is planning a pilot to use weight-loss drugs to tackle the obesity problem in America.
The plan was initially proposed by the Biden government and now the Trump administration intends to start a five-year experiment in which the Medicaid program and Medicare drug coverage plans will have the option of covering the cost of drugs selling under the names Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound for ‘weight management’ purposes.