Golnesa “GG” Gharachedaghi has no problem being honest about her recent weight loss methods.
“I don’t see a reason to hide being on a weight loss (medication) or a cosmetic procedure,” the “Shahs of Sunset” star told Entertainment Tonight earlier this month. “Just talk about it because there’s so many people out there who want to do the same thing or they want to learn about what you did.”
Gharachedaghi, 41, revealed in February that she has been taking injections of a semaglutide, a generic version of the popular drug Ozempic, to lose weight.
“I am on the weight loss shots, honey, OK,” she said in an Instagram video in February. “I’m just not going to lie about it because I always keep it real about what is fake.”
“Unfortunately, because of my health, I had to get a lot of steroids injections last year, which caused me to really pack on some weight,” Gharachedaghi added. “I’ve been having a very, very, very hard time getting rid of that weight.”
Ozempic is a medication for Type 2 diabetes, but some people have been using it off-label as a weight loss drug. While weight loss may be one side effect of Ozempic, the diabetes medication can have other side effects as well, including gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, according to the drug’s listing on NovoCare, a Novo Nordisk website.
Other possible side effects can include pancreatitis, low blood sugar, kidney failure, allergic reactions, or gallbladder issues, according to NovoCare.
The drug works by stimulating nerves in the brain to mimic the effect of eating food, leading to reduced appetite and feeling full sooner, TODAY.com previously reported.
The manufacturer of Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, told TODAY.com in an earlier statement that “we do not promote, suggest or encourage off-label use of our medicines.”
Another drug with the same active ingredient as Ozempic, Wegovy, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in chronic weight management for adults with obesity. With both medications, patients need to continue taking the medication in order to continue to see the effects.
Gharachedaghi clarified in an Instagram comment that she does “NOT take Ozempic,” but is “on a semaglutide,” a generic form of the diabetes medication.
She said she wants to be transparent about her use of weight loss drugs so people can know how she had lost the pounds so quickly.
“Obviously, I didn’t look like this two months ago,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “So all of a sudden to lose almost 30 pounds, I would be a liar to say I quit drinking alcohol and, you know, all of a sudden started working out, like some people like to say.”
The use of Ozempic and similar drugs to lose weight has sparked plenty of online discussion in recent months.
In April, “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dolores Catania faced criticism on social media after she revealed on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” that she was taking a drug called Mounjaro.
Mounjaro, like Ozempic, is a Type 2 diabetes medication that can lead to weight loss, though it is not intended to be used as a weight loss drug, manufacturer Eli Lilly previously told TODAY.com.
One Twitter commenter called Catania’s discussion about using a drug for weight loss “unhealthy and triggering,” while others praised her transparency.
The doctor who prescribed Mounjaro to Catania, Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen of New York Endocrinology, previously told TODAY.com that people should never make assumptions or leap to judgment about anyone’s use of a given drug.
“Whenever we see somebody that we may think they don’t need the medication, unless you’re their doctor, you don’t know their medical history,” Salas-Whalen said. “You don’t know what medications they’re taking, you don’t know their internal health and the reasoning for a patient ... to be on this type of medication.”