The Oatzempic Challenge on TikTok: Experts Weigh In on the Weight Loss Trend

It’s not hard to understand the appeal of “Oatzempic,” a breakfast drink trending on TikTok that people swear is easy to make and helps them rapidly lose significant amounts of weight.

The recipe is definitely simple: half a cup of oats, juice from half a lime, and a cup of water mixed in a blender. It gets its name from the oats and from Ozempic, the type 2 diabetes drug that can cause dramatic weight loss and is in the same family of medicines as the popular obesity treatments Wegovy and Zepbound.

A surge of posts trending on social media claim that starting every day with “Oatzempic” can help people lose 40 pounds in two months. On TikTok alone, #oatzempic has more than 50 million views and counting.

“This drink here is honestly Ozempic,” says the TikTok user @ChurroKing in a video with more than four million views. “It is like a meal suppressant in a freaking cup. This is cutting off my cravings. This is cutting off my hunger. It’s just crazy to me!”

Why TikTok ‘Oatzempic’ Claims Are Suspect

Despite its catchy name, “Oatzempic” isn’t a drug and it won’t work at all like Ozempic.

Ozempic and the weight loss medicine Wegovy both contain the active ingredient semaglutide. They’re in a family of medicines known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which can help control blood sugar levels and reduce hunger. In clinical trials, semaglutide helped people with obesity lose about 15 percent of their body weight, which for a 200-pound adult translates into 30 pounds.

“First and foremost, it should be clarified that the ‘Oatzempic’ weight loss trend is not in any way related to the drug Ozempic,” says Katherine Basbaum, RD, a registered dietician for MyFitnessPal and a clinical dietician at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

Beyond this, the weight loss claims people are making about “Oatzempic” sound too good to be true, Basbaum adds.

“While drinking ‘Oatzempic’ in the morning does have the potential to help with weight loss, a loss of 40 pounds in two months is very unlikely,” Basbaum says.

How ‘Oatzempic’ Might Aid Weight Loss

Changing up what you eat for breakfast does have the potential to help with weight loss. It’s the oats in “Oatzempic” that may explain why so many people on TikTok swear by this diet drink, says Amy Lee, MD, an obesity medicine specialist and head of nutrition at Nucific, a company that sells weight management supplements.

“Frankly, that’s pretty decent in carb intake, plus the added fiber will help you drive down the total carbs your body actually absorbs and likely will keep you full,” Dr. Lee says.

RELATED: 10 High-Fiber Breakfast Recipes for Weight Loss

How well “Oatzempic” works as a weight loss aid may depend a lot on what type of breakfast people were eating before they tried this diet drink.

“If we are talking about a person who was used to eating something equivalent to a bagel sandwich, eggs, sausage, pastries, and sugared coffee, and then switching to something like this, then you are likely taking a drastic cut in calories from proteins and fats altogether which can help one lose weight,” Lee says.

Anyone willing to dramatically overhaul their breakfast routine might also make other changes throughout the day that aid weight loss while they’re drinking “Oatzempic,” Lee adds. “I would predict that if someone is doing this for breakfast daily, drinking more water and keeping down caloric intake for lunch and dinner, plus exercise, one can realistically lose at least 15 to 20 pounds.”

How to Lose Weight Safely With ‘Oatzempic’

All of this comes with a big caveat: It’s usually not safe or sustainable to aim for weight loss of more than one or two pounds a week. Trying to lose 40 pounds in two months with “Oatzempic” may not be realistic, even if it is possible to experience rapid weight loss, says Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, author of The Better Period Food Solution.

“If someone is consuming this drink in addition to making radical changes to their existing diet and overall food choices, increasing their physical activity, and more importantly, is holding onto excessive weight, a 20-pound weight loss in one month is not unheard of,” Lockwood Beckerman says.

But even though there’s nothing inherently dangerous about the ingredients in “Oatzempic,” there are risks to this diet approach. “[The ‘Oatzempic challenge’ is] promising unsustainable and likely unattainable weight loss that is by no means a magic bullet,” Lockwood Beckerman says. “The smoothie is quite limited in the nutrients.”

For people trying to lose weight without medications, it’s more realistic to set a goal of about 7 to 10 pounds over two months, Basbaum says. This will work best when “Oatzempic” is one part of a well-balanced diet that cuts calories without eliminating key nutrients, and when people also exercise for 60 minutes at least three times a week, Basbaum adds.

“Losing weight can be tough, but keeping it off can be even more difficult,” Basbaum says. “I always tell patients and clients, ‘Slow and steady wins the race.’”