Losing weight with oatmeal is becoming increasingly popular. However, a new trend goes too far - and promises similar effects to those of the “weight loss injection” Ozempic.
What the hell is “Oatzempic”, some people might ask – while others are already nervously squinting at their oatmeal drink. While oatmeal is actually a wonderful ingredient for a healthy diet, a new weight loss trend is taking it to the extreme - and is named after an increasingly popular weight loss injection.
The oatmeal trend promises effects like those of a weight loss injection
But what does the expression “Oatzempic” have to do with oatmeal? It is a play on words that is made up of the English word “oats” for oatmeal – and the name of a drug that is enjoying increasing popularity as a weight-loss injection: Ozempic. Actually, Ozempic is intended as a complementary medicine for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, which can be administered in addition to proper nutrition and physical activity.
This is what the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices writes about the drug. However, a side effect of the drug is that it allows people to lose weight quickly, making it a popular weight loss miracle cure. And a new oat diet trend from TikTok now promises similar effects for little money.
Losing weight with oatmeal thanks to the dangerous “Oatzempic” trend
New weight loss trends are constantly being touted that promise that you can lose weight quickly and easily with their help. And you should always be careful with supposed miracle cures. This is also the case with “Oatzempic”, as HEIDELBERG24 reports. However, “Oatzempic” does not require you to inject oat drink directly into your bloodstream. Instead, the diet simply means drinking a smoothie every day, consisting of oatmeal, water and half a lime.
The ingredients themselves are very healthy: oat flakes and lime provide many nutrients, and overall the drink is lower in calories than most other breakfast drinks or smoothies. Eating oatmeal every day can also be healthy and actually help you lose weight. However, the problems don't start with the ingredients, but with what isn't included.
Too few nutrients in the oatmeal diet “Oatzempic”
In fact, it's one of the stricter diets to make the rounds in recent years. There are different extreme versions of the trend diet. Essentially, the oat smoothie is intended to replace meals, such as breakfast. And this is where things get difficult. A drink whose ingredients consist of water, oatmeal - even the healthiest one - and a little lime juice is not a complete meal.
Without additional ingredients, important nutrients that the body needs are missing. Instead, you eat almost exclusively carbohydrates - and not even the healthiest ones. Since the oat flakes it contains are pureed, the feeling of satiety does not last as long, as preventive medicine specialist Dr. Johannes Gutwald warns 20min.ch. A craving trap that can lead to harmful eating habits.
Extreme weight loss by losing weight with oatmeal
One thing is certain: the “Oatzempic” smoothie is not one of the healthiest foods for losing weight. The quick promise of being able to lose up to 18 kilograms within two months is also problematic. In any case, such dramatic weight loss is not healthy. Nutrition experts recommend losing a maximum of 1 to 2 kilograms per month.
In general, you should avoid diets that promise rapid weight loss. An oat smoothie with the right ingredients can be a healthy drink. However, like the drug from which “Oatzempic” derives its name, the drink should only be drunk in addition to a conscious diet and enough physical activity, not instead of it. The healthiest breakfast looks more like this instead. (paw)