Ozempic in Zambia – Who’s Really Using It?

Western Trends, Zambian Realities: Are We Copying Health Fads That Don’t Fit Our Bodies—or Our Context?
In the West, the word Ozempic is trending everywhere. What was once a diabetes medication has now become a global buzzword for fast, effortless weight loss. From Hollywood celebrities to TikTok influencers, everyone seems to be raving about its ability to “melt fat” without needing to change anything else.
And now, Ozempic is making its way into conversations here in Zambia. People are asking, “Where can I get it? But before we rush to import another Western health trend, we need to ask: Is Ozempic even right for us?

What Is Ozempic?
Ozempic (semaglutide) is a medication originally designed to manage Type 2 diabetes. It works by mimicking a natural hormone in the body that helps regulate blood sugar and slows digestion, which in turn helps people feel fuller for longer.
In diabetic patients, this has a powerful effect: it lowers blood sugar and, as a side effect, also promotes weight loss. But now it’s being used by people without diabetes purely for aesthetic weight loss – often without considering the long-term effects or proper medical supervision.

Zambia Is Not America – Our Bodies Aren’t Either
In the US and Europe, obesity is a leading public health crisis driven by ultra-processed food, high sugar consumption, and sedentary lifestyles. It makes sense that a quick-fix weight loss solution would appeal to those markets.
But here in Zambia, our story is more layered.
Yes, we are seeing rising rates of obesity, especially in urban areas. Yes, diabetes and high blood pressure are increasing. But we’re also navigating a deeply rooted cultural belief that being bigger means you are well-fed, wealthy, or secure.
At the same time, a small waist is seen as desirable – especially for women. So people are trying to be curvy but not fat, slim at the waist but still “healthy-looking.”
This leads to dangerous middle-ground behaviours: eating poorly while using waist trainers, detox teas, or now, medications like Ozempic to create a look rather than build a lifestyle.
But let’s be clear: injecting a pharmaceutical drug to skip real health habits is not sustainable – especially in a country where nutritional education is still developing, and access to proper follow-up care is limited.

The Side Effects They Don’t Show on TikTok
Ozempic is not a magic solution. Yes, people lose weight – but they also experience side effects like:
• Nausea and vomiting
• Severe constipation
• Dizziness and fatigue
• Muscle loss instead of fat loss
• In some cases, gall bladder issues or pancreatitis
Most importantly, many people regain the weight as soon as they stop taking it – because nothing about their lifestyle has changed.
This creates a dependency mindset: If I gain the weight back, I’ll just get another injection. That’s not health. That’s survival disguised as beauty.

Access and Elitism
In Zambia, Ozempic is expensive and not widely available. In fact, it’s not even used as part of the standard treatment for Type 2 diabetes. Most patients rely on older, more affordable medications like metformin or glibenclamide, and even these are inconsistently available in public health facilities.
Even more concerning, the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) issued a public advisory in late 2023 confirming the circulation of falsified Ozempic in Zambia, often sold through unregulated online sources. These counterfeit versions pose serious health risks, especially given that their composition does not match the genuine medication. For a country where many diabetic patients still rely on glass vials of insulin and limited oral drugs, it’s alarming that non-diabetic individuals may be accessing a counterfeit version of a drug they were never medically prescribed in the first place.
If the few people who can afford it begin using it for weight loss instead of actual diabetes management, we create an access crisis – and one that’s based on vanity, not public health.
We also risk creating a new class divide in wellness—where only the rich can afford to lose weight “effortlessly,” while everyone else is left to battle diabetes with outdated insulin access and lack of education.

We Don’t Need Hollywood Standards to Be Healthy
In Hollywood, the trend is thin, angular, and camera-ready. But here? Our bodies were built for strength, movement and cultural expression.
Trying to reshape our bodies based on someone else’s beauty standards is not only unrealistic—it’s harmful. We end up losing not just weight, but also our confidence, our energy, and our connection to what truly makes us well.
So instead of chasing Ozempic injections or dangerous shortcuts, let’s ask a different question: “What Would It Look Like to Be Zambian and Well?”
It starts with understanding that metabolic health—not just body weight—is the key to lasting wellness. Instead of chasing “thin,” let’s focus on:
1. Balanced blood sugar through whole foods, not crash diets
2. Muscle-building movement that maintains curves and burns fat sustainably
3. Gut health through traditional fermented foods like mabisi
4. Meal timing and portion control that aligns with real life—not Western trends
5. Education over imitation – so we can make informed decisions, not just copy what’s trending online
We don’t need to be skinny to be worthy. We don’t need to inject our way to wellness. And we don’t need to fear our natural body types.

Let’s Lead, Not Copy
Ozempic may be the drug of the moment in the West, but that doesn’t mean it belongs in a Zambian household.
Before we rush to join another global health fad, let’s pause and look at our own context. We have unique bodies, unique health challenges, and a unique opportunity to define wellness on our own terms.
True health in Zambia shouldn’t be based on Western shortcuts. It should be based on education, nourishment, movement, and dignity.
Let’s build that definition from the ground up—one plate, one step, one mindset at a time.
Because we don’t need to copy trends to be powerful.
We just need to reconnect with what health truly means – for us.
(Kaajal Vaghela is a wellness entrepreneur, sportswear designer, and diabetes health consultant with over three decades of lived experience managing Type 1 diabetes. As the Chairperson of the Lusaka branch of the Diabetes Association of Zambia, she is a passionate advocate for breaking down myths and building awareness about diabetes. For more information, visit www.kaajalvaghela.com or email [email protected]