Semaglutide, a type 2 diabetes and weight loss drug (commonly known by brand names like Ozempic and Wegovy), has been a hot topic online—especially on YouTube. The study analyzed 100 of the most viewed YouTube videos to see how well they present the drug’s side effects and safety concerns. Surprisingly, the majority of the videos were made by individuals and not medical professionals and often contained incomplete or inaccurate information.
Although many videos talked about the drug’s weight loss advantage and the common side effect of nausea or vomiting, few spoke about serious threats or showed a balanced view of the drug’s safety over the long term. A few videos were even promotional, touting benefits while downplaying the risk of harm. The researchers found that few videos offered credible, evidence-based medical information, and even those did not always cite credible sources.
This study refers to a growing issue: people are turning to websites like YouTube for health information, but what they find may not be comprehensive or reliable. Regulators and health practitioners should do more to enable people to get clear, correct, and helpful information when making health decisions online, the authors say.
Full text: Andy Wai Kan Yeung, Fabian Peter Hammerle, Sybille Behrens, Maima Matin, Michel-Edwar Mickael, Olena Litvinova, Emil D Parvanov, Maria Kletecka-Pulker, Atanas G Atanasov, Online Information About Side Effects and Safety Concerns of Semaglutide: Mixed Methods Study of YouTube Videos, JMIR Infodemiology, 2025 Apr 8;5:e59767, https://doi.org/10.2196/59767.