Ozempic craze: Why Kenyan doctors want patients to think beyond the scale

For people hoping to lose weight quickly, weekly injections such as Ozempic can look like an easy answer. But a Kenyan nutrition doctor says the number on the weighing scale can be misleading if patients stop paying attention to what they eat.

Jaspher Omondi Oloo, a nutrition doctor at Aga Khan University Hospital, says weight-loss medicines should not be treated as a replacement for healthy eating and lifestyle changes.

Speaking to a local television station on Thursday, August 20, Oloo said patients being considered for weight-loss medication are first referred for nutritional counselling.

The aim is to help them change their eating habits and build routines that can continue alongside treatment.

“First of all, they are usually sent to our clinic to make some lifestyle changes and to be educated on some of the healthy lifestyle options they can adapt,” Oloo said.

The scale may not tell the whole story

Oloo's main concern is not simply whether someone loses weight. It is what that weight represents.

He warned that people who use injections to suppress their appetite and then eat too little may lose muscle as well as fat.

“If you are following it as a quick fix and you are not following your diet because you feel happy that you can shed weight the easier way by not eating, you will end up losing much of your muscles, but the fat mass might not reduce as desired by the therapy,” he said.

That distinction matters.

A lower number on the scale does not automatically mean better health. Preserving muscle while reducing excess body fat is an important part of healthy weight management.

The concern is also consistent with the wider medical approach to GLP-1 medicines. The World Health Organisation says the drugs can be effective for adults living with obesity, but recommends that they form part of broader care that includes a healthy diet, physical activity and support from health professionals.

When eating less goes too far

GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide work partly by reducing appetite and increasing feelings of fullness. That can make it easier for some people to reduce their food intake.

But Oloo cautioned against turning appetite suppression into extreme food restriction.

“When people restrict their diet too much, they end up developing cravings and, in most cases, they develop a sweet tooth,” he said.

He said some patients may then look for sweet drinks or other foods when their appetite returns.

That can include packaged fruit drinks, which may appear to be a healthier choice but can contain significant amounts of naturally occurring or added sugars depending on the product.

Consumers, he said, should look beyond the claims printed prominently on the front of a package and check the ingredient and nutrition information.

His warning is particularly relevant as the popularity of GLP-1 medicines grows beyond their original use in diabetes treatment.

Ozempic is not the same as every weight-loss injection

There is an important distinction consumers should understand.

Ozempic contains semaglutide, but the specific product is primarily indicated for adults with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes in the current Kenyan product information. The Pharmacy and Poisons Board-approved information says it is to be used alongside diet and exercise.

Other semaglutide products are specifically approved in some markets for obesity and weight management. The WHO's guidance on obesity includes semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide among medicines that may be considered for adults living with obesity.

That means consumers should not assume that every injection containing a GLP-1 medicine has the same indication, dose or purpose.

Kenya has already warned about unsupervised use

The concerns come against a wider regulatory backdrop.

Kenya's Pharmacy and Poisons Board has previously warned about the off-label and irrational use of semaglutide for weight loss. The warning followed growing demand for the medicines and concerns over their use outside appropriate clinical supervision.

The global picture has also become more complicated.

In July 2026, the WHO warned about the increasing use of GLP-1 medicines outside approved indications and medical settings, including medicines obtained through online and informal channels. The organisation urged that these drugs be prescribed and supplied through appropriate health-care systems.

WHO has also warned that growing demand has fuelled the circulation of falsified and substandard semaglutide products.

For Kenyans buying medicines online or through informal sellers, that creates another risk beyond the question of weight loss itself.

What patients should focus on

The message from health professionals is not that weight-loss medicines have no place in treatment.

They can help appropriate patients. WHO says most people taking GLP-1 therapies lose at least some weight, but stresses that better outcomes are associated with structured behavioural support, including healthy eating and physical activity.

The issue is how the medicines are used.

The current Kenyan product information for Ozempic lists nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting among common gastrointestinal side effects and also warns about complications including acute pancreatitis and delayed gastric emptying.

That makes medical supervision important, particularly when appetite falls sharply or side effects make it difficult to eat and drink adequately.

For someone taking a GLP-1 medicine, the goal should therefore be more than simply watching the scales move down.

It should be about losing excess fat while protecting muscle, maintaining adequate nutrition and building habits that can be sustained beyond the injection.

As Oloo put it, someone can lose substantial muscle while failing to achieve the desired reduction in body fat.

For people considering these medicines, that may be the most important number to remember: weight loss is not always the same thing as healthy fat loss.

About the Author

Maureen Onyango is a journalist passionate about storytelling, life coaching and spiritual lessons. She studied at the Kenya Institute of Management and enjoys telling stories that inform, inspire and empower communities.