Dr. Terry Dubrow criticized Jillian Michaels after she expressed concerns about weight loss drug Ozempic.
The plastic surgeon, 65, said those interested in trying Ozempic, which is prescribed to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, should listen to their doctor and not the personal trainer, 49.
“As a board-certified physician and California Medical Board certified expert, I am not here to discuss scientific and medical issues with a personal trainer,” he told TMZ on Tuesday.
“I worry that someone with so much influence will limit people’s interest in treating the disease obesity with these new miracle weight loss drugs.”
He also compared it to life-saving treatments and asked, “Would you limit the use of chemotherapy for cancer?” NO.”
Dr. Terry Dubrow, 65, criticized Jillian Michaels, 49, after she expressed concerns about weight loss drug Ozempic
“Similarly, you don’t want to encourage people not to use these wonder drugs to treat the number one risk factor for cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and all causes of cardiovascular death.”
“What Jillian said is that there will be massive consequences if you take Ozempic long-term. People will get used to it as they get used to coffee, and the side effects are so bad that you shouldn't do it.” “I haven't even tried it,” he explained.
Ozempic is one of the brand names for semaglutide, which works in the brain to promote satiety and is the Hollywood weight loss trend.
It is taken once a week by injection into the thigh, stomach or arm. And although it is intended for those who suffer from obesity or type 2 diabetes, it is often taken as a weight loss medication.
Although he disagreed with Jillian's anti-ozempic stance, the “Botched” star agreed with the certified nutritionist's view that diet and exercise are crucial to people's health.
“She’s absolutely right, diet and exercise are key. “But ignoring or belittling these incredible weight loss wonders sends the wrong message.”
'Don't listen to her! “If you are obese, you are at risk of serious moral causes.”
“Anything you can do to lower your body fat, including diet and exercise, is safe – and again, these drugs have been around for a decade, they are safe.”
“I'm not here to discuss scientific and medical issues with a personal trainer,” he told TMZ on Tuesday. He also compared Ozempic to life-saving treatments and asked: “Would you limit the use of chemotherapy for cancer?” NO'
“I worry that someone with so much influence will limit people's interest in treating the disease obesity with these new miracle weight loss drugs,” he said
It comes just a few days after he revealed he tried Ozempic himself but stopped because he lacked the “joy of food”; Pictured with wife Heather Dubrow in 2023
Although he has quit, Dubrow insists that Ozempic is “amazing” and “the greatest breakthrough in the history of medicine.”
It comes just a few days after he revealed he tried Ozempic himself but stopped because he lacked the “joy of food”.
“I didn't have that much weight to lose.” But I wanted to try it because so many of my patients were taking it, and I wanted to see what it was like if you weren't diabetic and only had 10 to 15 pounds to lose,” he told Page Six.
Dubrow admitted that he experienced side effects such as mild nausea during the weekly injections, but stressed that he still considers the drug to be “amazing” and “the greatest breakthrough in the history of medicine.”
Jillian has publicly expressed her disapproval of Ozempic several times in the past.
In February, she revealed that she had convinced several friends to stop taking the medication, which she claims makes people feel “horrible.”
“They get heart palpitations, they feel nauseous, they feel like crap.” “They feel so terrible that it motivates them to cure their type 2 diabetes,” she said in an interview with People.
Jillian emphasized her dislike of the drug by noting that there is a risk of weight gain once one stops taking the drug.
She explained that those who use Ozempic “gain nothing” due to the “rebound effect.”
“In a year you stop taking the drug and then you go back all the way.” You haven’t learned anything. They have not built up physical strength or endurance. “They haven’t learned to eat healthy,” she said.
Michaels has previously heavily criticized Ozempic after revealing that she had convinced several friends to stop taking the medication
Last week she also called out Oprah Winfrey for admitting to taking a weight-loss drug, claiming Oprah had “a financial incentive” due to her partnership with WeightWatchers (Oprah pictured last week).
The fitness trainer warned people not to look into the drug, explaining that the results were “not permanent”.
Instead of injecting the drug, Jillian suggests anyone looking to lose weight walk 10,000 steps a day and cut out processed sugar and flour from their diet.
Last week, she also called out Oprah Winfrey for admitting to taking a weight-loss drug, claiming that Oprah has a “financial incentive” due to her partnership with WeightWatchers – in which she also owns a 10 percent stake .
The fitness trainer said, “Oprah has a financial incentive with Ozempic. “I believe Oprah is one of the largest shareholders in WeightWatchers, and WeightWatchers is now in the Ozempic business,” she told Page Six.
Both Ozempic and its sister drug Wegovy have been hailed as miracle cures for obesity and their ability to melt away fat within weeks.
Ozempic was first approved by the FDA in 2017 as a type 2 diabetes drug, while Wegovy was approved by the FDA in 2021 as a weight management agent.
Ozempic: The diabetes drug became a weight loss phenomenon
Ozempic is a medication for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes that uses the active ingredient semaglutide.
It is also commonly used off-label due to its powerful weight-loss properties.
It is injected into a person's arm, thigh, or stomach to regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite.
According to reports, the drug has become popular among celebrities due to its intense weight loss effects.
It is a GLP-1 receptor that causes the pancreas to secrete insulin – the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar.
The drug also slows the passage of food from the stomach, thereby reducing a person's appetite.
Studies have shown that GLP-1 is a highly effective weight loss aid.
In a 2021 study, patients who took semaglutide lost 14 percent of their weight over 68 weeks, compared to just two percent weight loss in those who took a placebo