TikToker Mikayla Nogueira is the latest star to deny using Ozempic to shed some pounds.
In response to an internet troll accusing her of using the type 2 diabetes drug, the influencer revealed that has dropped 30 pounds naturally as she recovers from a binge eating disorder.
“If you’re on Ozempic or any of those weight loss medications or drugs, that’s fine,” she began in a TikTok video she shared with her more than 15 million followers Wednesday.
However, she said the prescription drug is not for her because it would “cheat [her] recovery.”
“If you are on Ozempic for an [eating disorder], I do not judge that for you at all,” she continued, reassuring her audience that she was not shaming anyone.
“For me,” Nogueira continued, “I don’t believe that would be good for my recovery. Therefore, I will never do it.”
Adding to her reasoning, she said she needs “to develop a healthy relationship with food and exercise and [her] body image … and that is extremely difficult.”
The 25-year-old makeup guru also noted how the troll’s Ozempic accusation made her feel.
“When you go through recovery and stop binging, sometimes you lose weight with that,” Nogueira explained.
“But to just put in all that work for months to recover from something that has literally nearly taken your life away multiple times, to just be hit with ‘Laugh my ass off, she’s on Ozempic,’ it just like sucks,” she continued.
“I just feel like it takes away from anyone who puts in the extreme mental strain to get healthy.”
Nogueira — who rose to fame during the pandemic by sharing makeup tutorials online — has mentioned a handful of times that she’s been focusing on maintaining a healthier lifestyle and learning how to better manage her eating disorder, which she’s struggled with for years.
In her recent TikTok video, she said she mainly keeps that part of her life private and doesn’t feel the need to make it her “whole personality,” but wanted to address the false accusations she’s been receiving.
“Yes, I have lost weight. I have done it completely naturally and normally and … better food choices, better life choices,” she added.
“I am proud of myself that I did it entirely healthy because it’s the first time in my life that I have, so that’s a huge deal for me.”
Nogueira’s comments about Ozempic came the same day “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kyle Richards got candid about her fitness journey, revealing she weighs 117 pounds after denying using Ozempic.
Earlier this month, Heidi Montag attributed her 22-pound slimdown to “hard work” rather than “shortcuts,” while Vicki Gunvalson’s daughter, Briana Culberson, also denied using Ozempic.
However, plenty of Hollywood has admitted to using the trending drug to help them lose weight, including “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Heather Gay, “Real Housewives of New Jersey” newcomer Jennifer Fessler, among others.
If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder, visit the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) website or call their hotline at (800)-931-2237 to get help.
