She weighed 83 kg when she had her first injection in May. In August, she was 10 kg lighter. Now the weight is under 70 kg. – I felt bigger than the others. I have always done that, says 30-year-old Tuva Christoffersen. When she was pregnant, she weighed just under 100 kilos. She signed up for a race, which took much longer than she thought. – Then that was enough. I couldn’t fight the hunger any longer. Then I decided that I could get a tool, she says. Tuva says that she gets side effects from the medicine, but that she still wants to continue using the syringe. Photo: Ola Hana / news She has shared her story on TikTok under the name “designertuva”. Here she gets questions to which she answers openly and honestly. The room has exploded Tuva had previously tried both a nutritionist and a psychologist before she started the injections in consultation with a doctor. She is one of many Norwegians who have lost weight with the help of diet pills. The sale of these medicines has exploded in recent years, figures from Apotekforeininga show. In 2020, pharmacies sold 160,000 packages. Last year: 1.5 million. Figures from the Medicines Register and the Institute of Public Health show that around 15,000 used weight-reducing drugs in 2020. During the first half of 2023, the number of users increased to over 100,000. This corresponds to approx. 0.3 per cent of the population in 2020 and 2 per cent of the population in 2023. – A week rarely goes by without a patient asking if they should receive these medicines, says doctor Kaveh Rashidi. Wegovy came on the market in 2023. Photo: Ola Hana / news He explains that the medicines are actually diabetes medicines. They are designed to reduce blood sugar. At the same time, they also reduce appetite. One therefore gets less desire for food. – And one less, the weight goes down accordingly, says Rashidi. The doctor believes that taking diet pills is a “quick fix”, but at the same time believes that it is not a negative word in this context. – Because then you have tried all the “slow fixes” first, which have not worked. No one should get a diet shot before they have tried other things first. Because there are potential side effects, he says. Medicines used against diabetes and obesity Ozempic for the treatment of diabetes type 2. Solution for injection 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg per dose. Rybelsus for the treatment of diabetes type 2. Tablets 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg. Wegovy for weight control. Solution for injection 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg per dose). Ozempic contains the same active ingredient as Wegovy. But only Wegovy is formally approved by the EMA and the Swedish Medicines Agency for weight control, and only Wegovy has doses that are specially adapted to the treatment of obesity. But doctors can still choose to use Ozempic “off-label” (outside the approved area of use) for the treatment of obesity. It is up to the doctor to decide this. But the doctor cannot write Ozempic on a blue prescription when the medicine is used for obesity. Source: Norwegian Medicines Agency – Gets dizzy quickly The injections have cost Tuva. The expenses are over NOK 30,000 a year and the side effects are clear. – It’s a bit like getting the flu and covid at the same time. And a bit of a feverish feeling. – I get dizzy quickly. And I’ve got low blood pressure, she adds. The health authorities are closely following the rapid increase in the use of diet pills. Linda Granlund, who is a divisional director in the Directorate of Health, believes that it is problematic if one does not look at the reasons behind obesity. – We as a society must first ensure that we do not get more people who become overweight and obese. At the same time, it is important to help those who need it, she says. Granlund also says that it is not desirable, either on an individual or societal level, for people to be dependent on drug treatment for life. – Furthermore, the side effects can be very troublesome, she adds. Tuva is obsessed with keeping fit and exercises a little every evening. Photo: Marit Sirum-Eikre / news Despite side effects and high costs, Tuva has no doubts that she will continue with the medication. – I’m not going to cut it out. If I have to go through it for the rest of my life, I will. Because I’m not going up again, she says.
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Tuva Christoffersen goes on diet pills – the sale has exploded in recent years – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
