WeightWatchers has officially dipped its toes into the world of Ozempic by launching a membership that offers “tailored behavioral support” for people taking the drug and other similar GLP-1 medications, according to a press release.
“What we’ve seen is that people taking GLP-1 medications need help with a different set of behavioral challenges in comparison to people not on these medications,” said Gary Foster, chief scientific officer at WeightWatchers in the press release. “For example, in the context of a reduced appetite, large weight losses, and a significant loss in muscle, it is important to help people focus on dietary protein and activity to minimize the loss of muscle mass."
Related: Viral Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic and Wegovy Sell For $10,000. Here's Why.
The new membership plan will offer a multitude of support programs to customers such as access to doctors that prescribe weight loss medications, medication management, nutritional programs suited for people taking GLP-1 drugs, etc.
Customers already paying for WeightWatchers' $23 monthly membership don’t have to pay extra for the support program, but if they want to access a clinician to be prescribed a weight loss drug, they will have to pay $99 extra a month, which does not include the price of the drug they're prescribed.
The news comes after Oprah Winfrey, a shareholder of WeightWatchers, revealed in an interview with People magazine that she uses an unspecified weight loss medication to help maintain a healthy weight. She says that she is now 167 lbs., which is close to her goal of 160 lbs.
"The fact that there's a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for,” said Winfrey in an interview with People.
The use of GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy etc. to lose weight has stirred controversy in the past due to its domino effect on people's health and industries.
In late 2022, Ozempic, which is a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, became a trend on TikTok due to its weight loss side effect. Currently, #ozempic has garnered 1.3 billion views on the platform. Even celebrities such as Sharon Osbourne, Tracy Morgan and Elon Musk have admitted to using the drug to help shed a few pounds.
The trend has caused a shortage in the medication across several countries, leaving people with type 2 diabetes scrambling to refill their prescriptions of the medication.
The key ingredient inside GLP-1 medications is semaglutide, and the company that produces it, Novo, said in a Nov. 2 financial report that it expects to face "continued periodic supply constraints and related drug shortage notifications across a number of products and geographies" amid “higher than expected volume growth” for GLP-1 medications.
Related: Oprah’s Weight Loss Company Adds a Prescription Drug Feature
The medications have also been reported to have an impact on consumers' buying habits. Retail chain Walmart has flagged that customers taking GLP-1 drugs are pulling back on food shopping.
“We definitely do see a slight change compared to the total population, we do see a slight pullback in overall basket,” said John Furner, Walmart CEO, in an interview with Bloomberg in October.
Poison control centers have also been seeing an uptick in calls over the ingredient semaglutide due to accidental overdoses. America’s Poison Centers reported receiving roughly 3,000 calls involving semaglutide between January and November, an 1,500% increase since 2019, according to a report from CNN.
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