As worldwide use of GLP-1 drug such as Ozempic and Mounjaro increase, medical experts are ringing the alarm over a bizarre new cosmetic side effect- loose skin on the feet. Ozempic, generic name semaglutide, was originally created to treat type 2 diabetes. Now it's a name on every lip for its unbelievable impact on weight loss. By mimicking the hormone GLP-1, it reduces hunger, decelerates digestion, and regulates blood sugar. But with the touted advantages comes a new and less sexy concern: Ozempic feet.

This is a slang term for visible signs of skin aging and sagging on the feet — a side effect now making its public debut thanks to social media gossip and sharp-eyed observers at celebrity makeovers. It's been added to a growing list of cosmetic issues like Ozempic face and Ozempic butt—terms used to describe the gaunt facial appearance and buttock deflation in some on these injectable medications.

What Is 'Ozempic Feet'?

'Ozempic feet' is a description of the creased, sloping skin and empty appearance of the feet — particularly at the top, where the skin is naturally thinner. This is due to a rapid and extreme reduction in fat reserves as patients lose weight. Unlike intentional body sculpting or fat reduction from exercise, weight loss with Ozempic is fast and even, subjecting areas that typically have small fat reserves, such as the feet.

Experts explain that the sudden and severe loss of fat leaves skin looking deflated, aged, or disproportionate to the rest of your body. Your feet don't have much cushioning to begin with. After the fat loss, you're left with wrinkled skin and a higher likelihood of experiencing pain when walking.

Essentially, the same drug that is helping drug users lose weight is giving them feet that look prematurely old without intending to.

The celebrity side effect was the subject of viral rumination following reports of speculation between followers that TV personality Sharon Osbourne and chat show host Oprah Winfrey may have 'Ozempic feet.' Sharon, 72, posted a snap with her grandson in April 2025 that prompted fans to comment upon an inconsistency between ageless looking face and sharply creased ankles. The reaction varied from worry to wonder, "Your ankles are giving your age away," a follower suggested.

Oprah Winfrey, 71, faced similar criticism when she showed up at the 55th NAACP Image Awards. Spectators commented on how loose her foot skin looked — a striking difference for someone who had seemingly shed almost 50 pounds on GLP-1 drugs.

Neither Osbourne nor Winfrey has indicated whether they attribute these differences to their weight-loss regimens, but the internet chatter has pushed the topic into the mainstream.

Is 'Ozempic Feet' a Cause for Concern?

While the term is likely to be ringing somewhat flippant or superficial in tone, it opens up into a wider, more serious discussion of the long-term impact of rapid medical weight loss.

Doctors note that any sudden change in weight — especially one achieved through drug methods — can affect soft tissue, elasticity of the skin, and distribution of fat. In a couple of cases, GLP-1 medication like Ozempic has been determined to cause treatment-induced neuropathy in patients with diabetes, producing symptoms of numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in the feet.

Healthcare professionals suggest the users to take care of their foot health very carefully. "If you notice changes in your feeling, persistent pain, or swelling, seek medical attention," says Dr. Weintraub. "Your feet also develop symptoms of nutrient deficiency or rapid muscle and fat loss which can affect your balance and stance."

Other Side Effects of Taking Weight Loss Drugs

As the fame of Ozempic shoots through the roof with nearly 1 in every 8 Americans having seemingly used GLP-1 medications by 2024, so has its psych effect.

A study indicated that the patients taking semaglutide were 195% more likely to suffer from severe depression and over 100% more likely to be suicidal. Even though both the U.S. FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have stated that no conclusive link has been made between Ozempic and suicidal thoughts, the increased number of reports is raising alarms.

These findings have prompted most health experts to emphasize the requirement for sustained assistance as well as frequent surveillance of individuals who take these drugs- physically as well as mentally.

Add to the complexity is the "rebound" phenomenon. Northwestern University studies indicate that patients who had stopped GLP-1 therapy regained nearly two-thirds of the lost weight. The reversal also logged increases in blood pressure, cholesterol, and risk for cardiovascular disease thus, lifestyle alteration and upkeep a priority, even after the drug.

Winfrey herself echoed those words in a recent interview, "These drugs are not a magic bullet. They're a tool, not a replacement for lifestyle change."

'Ozempic feet' is a superficial aesthetic issue, but it reflects on a larger narrative: the evolving landscape of weight loss pharmaceuticals. As ever more people pursue drugs to manage weight and comorbid risk, the focus must remain with overall well-being far and above the reading on the scale.

Sometimes body pain can be quite difficult to figure out. ‘Is it my shoulder muscle, or is it shoulder joint that’s causing me pain?’ We have all had these questions and struggled while answering them at the doctor’s office. This is a common experience that we all go through, and it can make things like finding what medication will help elevate the pain difficult.

So how do doctors figure this out? Explaining this in a video, Dr Pooja Chopra MD, shares a post on Instagram. Posted on 8th September, in the video caption Dr Chopra explained, “As a PM&R and Pain specialist, my first job is to be a detective. Tracing pain back to its precise source is the most critical step, because each source requires a completely different treatment plan.” She further goes on to give a simplified guide to help people understand their pain better. Understanding where the pain comes from can help people feel more at ease as well as figure out how serious the problem could be.

How To Tell Whether Your Muscle Is Causing Pain, Your Joint Or Nerve?

Muscle Pain

Muscle pain, also called myofascial pain, feels like a dull, deep ache. When you press on the sore spot, you'll feel tenderness and might even find what feel like tight knots or bands. This kind of pain gets worse when you use the muscle that's hurt, but it often feels better with simple things like resting, putting a heating pad on it, or doing some gentle stretches. You can usually point with one finger to exactly where it hurts.

Joint Pain

Joint pain, or articular pain, is a deep, internal ache that feels very stiff. It's not on the surface; it feels like it's coming from inside the joint itself. You might feel a sharp pain when you make a specific movement, like reaching high above your head. This type of pain is often at its worst when you first wake up in the morning, but it tends to get better as you start moving around and warm up the joint. Because the pain is deep, it can be hard to say exactly where it is.

Nerve Pain

Nerve pain, also known as neuropathic pain, is the most distinct kind of pain. It feels like sharp, shooting, burning, or "electric" shocks. People often describe it as a tingling sensation, like "pins and needles," or even numbness. A key sign of nerve pain is that it travels along a clear path, for example, from your neck all the way down your arm. This pain can come on unexpectedly, even when you're completely still and not moving the body part.

It's important to remember that these types of pain can be linked. For example, a problem with a joint could make the muscles around it tense up in a protective spasm, which could then pinch a nearby nerve. This is why a proper diagnosis from a specialist is so important. They use advanced tools like diagnostic ultrasound, which lets them see exactly what's happening inside your body, so they can treat the root cause of the pain precisely.

A new study has pointed out that people who have chronic insomnia could be at higher risk of dementia. One of the best things a person can do to recover from a tiring day, whether it is from a stressful day or after a tiring workout. However, it is not easy for everyone, there are many people who suffer with sleep problems like chronic insomnia.

An estimate of 16.2% of people around the globe suffer with insomnia according to 2025 Sleep Medicine Reviews, which is a condition that makes it hard to fall or stay asleep. A big number of these people have what's called chronic insomnia, meaning they've had this problem for at least three months, with poor sleep happening three or more nights a week.

Previous studies have already connected insomnia to serious health problems like heart disease and diabetes. But now, a new study in the medical journal Neurology has found an even more concerning link: people with chronic insomnia might be at a much higher risk for developing dementia and other memory problems. The study suggests that their brains could be aging faster as a result.

How Does Insomnia Cause Dementia?

For this study, researchers followed 2,750 older adults for an average of five and a half years. At the beginning, everyone was mentally healthy. The researchers found that the people who had chronic insomnia had a 40% higher chance of developing dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Researchers explain that this is a huge finding because it means chronic insomnia could be a bigger risk factor for memory loss than having both high blood pressure and diabetes. They also discovered that those who slept less had more of the tell-tale signs of Alzheimer's disease in their brains, like amyloid plaques, and other signs of damage to their brain's blood vessels. This shows that poor sleep isn't just about feeling tired—it's linked to real, physical changes in the brain.

Why You Should Prioritize Sleep?

Experts believe that a big part of the problem is that insomnia is often overlooked. Many older adults just assume that bad sleep is a normal part of getting older. However, doctors stress that chronic insomnia is a real medical issue that goes beyond typical age-related changes. They urge doctors to start talking to their patients about their sleep habits during every check-up.

The good news is that chronic insomnia is a treatable condition. The main treatment is a type of talk therapy called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). The hope is that by recognizing and treating insomnia, doctors can help protect a person's brain health for years to come.

How Does Insomnia Affect Our Memory

Previous studies have shown that our cognitive abilities are affected by how much we sleep. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, explained that there is a strong connection between a person's sleep and their risk of developing Alzheimer's. We know that sleep is crucial for learning and creating memories. Studies have found that a lack of sleep and conditions like insomnia are not just a symptom of Alzheimer's—they may also play a role in its development.

This means that sleep disorders can have a significant impact on whether someone gets Alzheimer's and how fast the disease progresses. Because of this, it's important for doctors to pay more attention to sleep issues when diagnosing and treating patients. By properly screening for and managing sleep disorders, we might be able to help prevent or slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

A new study from Stanford University suggests that daylight saving time isn't just an inconvenience; it could actually be bad for our health. The research shows that our twice-a-year routine of changing the clocks disrupts our bodies' natural rhythms, which can lead to serious health issues. This is a big deal because it provides the first real scientific evidence that this time-switching practice has a biological cost.

What is Daylight Saving Time?

According to the Sleep Foundation, daylight saving time (DST) has been an official practice in most of the United States since 1966. Only a few places, like Hawaii and parts of Arizona, don't follow it. The routine is simple: on the second Sunday in March, we set our clocks forward by one hour, losing an hour of sleep. Then, on the first Sunday in November, we set them back, gaining that hour of sleep. This is why many people remember it as "Spring Forward, Fall Back."

How Daylights Saving Time Affects Our Health

According to the study, if the U.S. got rid of daylight saving time and stayed on standard time all year, it could prevent thousands of strokes and significantly reduce obesity. The researchers, using mathematical models and data, estimated that this single change could prevent 300,000 strokes and lead to 2.6 million fewer people with obesity every year. This adds to what we already know about the negative effects of the time change, such as a spike in heart attacks and car crashes in the days after we lose an hour of sleep in the spring.

How Does Daylight Saving Time Affect Sleep?

Our body's internal clock is heavily influenced by light. When the clocks change, the amount of natural light we get in the morning and evening shifts. This can throw off our sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to feel alert in the morning and sleepy at night.

The “spring forward” change is particularly hard on us. One study found that on the Monday after the time change, the average person gets 40 minutes less sleep. This lack of sleep can build up over time, affecting our mood and increasing the risk of accidents.

While the "fall back" change in November can give us an extra hour of sleep, some people still struggle to adjust to the new schedule. For most people, the effects fade after a few days, but some studies suggest that others never fully adjust, leading to ongoing health problems.

Why Time Changes Mess With Our Bodies

The core problem lies in our body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm. Think of it as the conductor of an orchestra, directing all your body's processes. When it's working well, everything is in sync. But when it's thrown off, like by getting light at the wrong time of day, your body's systems can become disorganized.

This can weaken your immune system, mess with your sleep, and increase your risk for diseases like stroke and obesity. The study found that switching between standard and daylight saving time is the worst thing we can do for our body clock, much worse than staying on either time year-round. It's a bit like having the conductor suddenly change the tempo for no reason—the whole orchestra, or in this case, your body, gets thrown off.