Ozempic and other weight loss drugs like Wegovy took the country by storm. Tides turned when the medication became noteworthy because of its side effects, cost, and impact on diet culture. We analyzed readership data around the drug to understand the conversation and uncover what’s drawing consumer interest.
Keep reading for our top 3 highlights or jump straight to the report.
Readers are more interested in side effects and testimonials than medical opinions and regulation.
Ozempic side effects are a huge concern for consumers. This topic, which covered everything from muscle loss to stomach paralysis, generated 18 million readers. Similarly, readers were interested in hearing about what it is like to be on Ozempic first-hand. Testimonial-style articles generated the highest average readership of any sub-topic at 95,000.
Superficial side effects attract more readers than harmful effects.
Readers showed more interest in the aesthetic side effects like “Ozempic Butt” (saggy skin resulting from a flattened butt) and “Ozempic Finger” (fingers getting skinnier) than in more harmful effects like stomach paralysis and suicide risk. In fact, negative side effects attracted 10.5x more readers than positive effects of the drug (like eased PCOS symptoms, heart health, and reduced addiction cravings).
Interest in Ozempic is waning while sentiment is still mixed.
While overall interest in Ozempic is decreasing, readership on first-hand, testimonial style stories is increasing, suggesting consumers are interested in learning how the medication works and what it’s like to take it over anything else.
