America is in a medical gold rush. According to the recent data published by the New York Times, about 15% of Americans have tried GLP-1s weight loss drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy. This fast rise in the use of the drugs has received controversial opinions. While these drugs are a genuine medical breakthrough, we should limit the use of these pharmaceuticals and better regulate their advertisements on social media.

There is no denying that these drugs can do a lot of good. A study from WashU Medicine shows that over 2 million patients have mentioned major benefits. For people dealing with severe obesity, these drugs can lower the risk of heart disease and improve their overall health. For these specific patients, the drug is practically a lifesaver.

The problem arises when people start to treat it as a lifestyle hack. The same WashU medicine page has also pointed out major side effects, including developing kidney issues and pancreatitis. Despite these risks, the public has chosen to completely overlook them to lose a few pounds.

The public is unaware of the risks due to how they are advertised. An article from Mashable mentions how hard it is to avoid ads on TikTok involving the drugs like Ozempic, even if you have chosen to block them. Algorithms keep pushing these ads to groups of young teenagers who might already be experiencing insecurities involving their bodies. Teens already receive enough pressure from how unrealistic standards are these days, and pushing these kinds of ads to them will only increase their insecurities. Direct to consumer drug ads on social media normalize the idea of taking prescription hormones just to lose a few pounds quickly.

Because of this we should make these drugs harder to get for casual use. We should reserve these drugs for patients who meet strict medical guidelines for obesity or diabetes. This keeps the business open for people who actually need them and stops others from using it unsafely.

and keeping prescriptions medical, we can make sure they are used safely.