Buzz
There's a new Ozempic knockoff gaining traction on TikTok, but this time it’s not the supplement berberine—it’s a homemade drink made from oats and water. Wait, isn't that just oatmeal? No, the trending hashtag is #oatzempic.
I’m not the first to cover this TikTok trend outside of TikTok, so here’s how viral myths spread: Sometimes, TikTok creators genuinely believe or promote these myths, and then people like me step in to correct them. Other times, TikTokers are simply joking around, and mainstream media gets it wrong. This time? A little bit of both.
Why oat-based smoothies are being marketed as a weight loss miracle.
TikTok is full of weight loss 'hacks' that often lack substance or effectiveness. Simple advice like 'eat a bit less' doesn’t get much attention. What does catch on? Claims about 'gut health' or 'hormones' often go viral. Trends that involve specific recipes or routines do well too, as followers share daily updates ('day 1 of…') and before-and-after transformations. Regardless of whether the hack works, the engagement will be high.
Oatzempic capitalizes on this recipe trend, mixed with the fact that anything mentioning 'ozempic' is bound to go viral. In a Zals Boutique video, the narrator says, 'I’m going on vacation in mid-April, so I want to lose a few pounds.' The video continues, 'A lot of people are losing weight on this drink, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for.'
In another video, the claim is made, 'Lose 40 pounds with the oatzempic drink in two months,' followed by, 'We’ve made it to day eight.' It’s an interesting example of a grassroots, hard-sell marketing campaign with no actual product. Because, of course, it’s just diluted oatmeal.
What’s in the 'oatzempic' smoothie?
As many videos have explained, the recipe is:
1 cup of water
½ cup of oats
Juice of half a lime
Some videos suggest drinking this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Others recommend having it before bed as well.
A half-cup of oats contains 154 calories, with 27 grams of carbs, 5 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fat. Water adds zero calories. The juice of half a lime contributes 6 calories.
The narrator from the Zals Boutique video claims, 'I was full for hours. It literally cur[b]ed my appetite almost all day.' This is a 160-calorie drink. If you consume so few calories because you feel 'full' on just 160, you risk following an unhealthily low-calorie diet. For context, a 126-pound woman (one of the examples from U.S. dietary guidelines) burns between 1,600 and 2,400 calories per day, depending on her activity level.
In other words, 'Oatzempic' suggests substituting one or more of your meals with a 160-calorie drink (just 10% or less of your daily caloric needs). This is unhealthy for both your body and mind. Feel free to drink watered-down oatmeal, but don’t call it a diet plan.
