Introduction

Beauty standards, which have been flexible throughout human history, have now settled on big eyes, a high nose bridge, and most importantly, a slim body. However, the amount of exercise and diet management required to achieve such a body is immense, which is why people search for shortcuts like Wegovy.

What is Wegovy?

Wegovy is a prescription injection that contains semaglutide that is approved for chronic weight management in people over age 12 who are obese. Wegovy is not just a simple injection; it is a composition of technologies from different fields. Wegovy relies on recombinant DNA technology, a biotechnological method that manipulates and combines DNA sequences from different species to create a new, hybrid, and new genetic combination that cannot be found naturally. In the case of Wegovy, the genetic code of the human hormone GLP-1 is taken by scientists and inserted into host organisms such as bacteria or yeast. In this way, complex molecules that cannot be produced through conventional methods are created as the host organisms accept the foreign DNA and undergo a process called transformation. The hosts then function as factories that grow and produce medicine for humans since the inserted genetic code acts as a blueprint. Not only that, but the science and technology behind Wegovy also amplify the effect of GLP-1. In its natural state, GLP-1 is quickly broken down by an enzyme called DPP-4 and lasts only about 2 minutes. To solve this problem, scientists modified the molecule.

Underlying High-Tech Methods

First, scientists eliminated one specific amino acid, alanine, and replaced it with a synthetic amino acid, Aib (alpha-aminoisobutyric acid). Substitution with Aib functions as a protection against DPP-4 because the enzyme can no longer recognize the bond, making GLP-1 resistant to immediate destruction. Moreover, scientists attach a long C-18 fatty diacid chain to the molecule so that Wegovy can easily bind to a ubiquitous protein called albumin, just like magnets. This helps extend the survival of Wegovy because albumin is a massive protein that remains in the bloodstream for a long time, carrying Wegovy and preventing the kidneys from filtering it out too quickly. To prevent fatty acid chains from attaching to the wrong site on the molecule, scientists also replaced the amino acid lysine with arginine at a specific position. In this way, stable and effective attachment is ensured.

Ethical Concerns

Because Wegovy offers a much more convenient “method” for people to lose weight, it went viral on social media for aesthetic weight loss, causing its demand to skyrocket. This created a crisis for people who use Wegovy for clinical obesity or for patients with Type 2 Diabetes who needed it to prevent kidney disease or heart failure. Not only that, but considering the impact of social media, the rapid rise in Wegovy’s popularity may make society less accepting of diverse body types and strengthen the association between health and slimness. Humans have a tendency to show bias toward people they consider “similar”. The fame of Wegovy may exponentially increase the number of its users, further reinforcing the beauty standard of being slim. However, Wegovy is also expensive, costing about 1000 dollars every month. As a result, people may not only be less accepting of other body types but may also associate their use with wealth. Therefore, the societal effect of Wegovy cannot necessarily be considered positive; it may instead strengthen discrimination against people.

In addition, although Wegovy is sometimes described as a “miraculous medication, " it can have considerable side effects. Because Wegovy’s primary function is to delay gastric emptying, slowing down the rate at which food leaves the stomach, the most common side effects are gastrointestinal, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. There is also a rebound effect, which occurs when a patient stops taking the medicine, begins eating more, and regains weight that was previously lost with the help of Wegovy. Beyond common discomfort, there are more severe side effects as well, including gallbladder inflammation and gallstones, pancreatitis (a painful inflammation of the pancreas), significant muscle loss that can lower a person’s metabolic rate, and “Ozempic face”, which is a rapid loss of fat in the face that can make the face hollowed with sagging skin.

Conclusion

All medications have their pros and cons. Wegovy, especially because of its seemingly “magical” effect, demands even greater caution from people; using it simply for aesthetic purposes may ultimately harm one’s appearance even more by causing severe side effects. Therefore, steady health care alongside the medication is required for achieving healthy beauty.