Ozempic is already old hat, today Oatzempic is used to lose weight – at least if you believe the TikTok trend. Numerous TikTok users claim that they lost up to 18 kilos in around two months with the drink made from oatmeal, water and lime. It’s supposed to be filling, the drink is, strictly speaking, not a drink because enjoyment involves a lot of spooning and chewing – as a self-test shows. We ask nutritionist Anne Fleck what the so-called “Oatzempic Challenge” is all about and whether oats actually have previously unrecognized abilities for healthy weight loss.
What is “Oatzempic”?
The name is an allusion to the controversial diabetes drug Ozempic, which has been very popular for some time due to its side effect of significantly helping you lose weight. Together with the English word for oats (“oat”) it becomes Oatzempic.
This “weight loss hack”, which is also supposed to “taste great” (it works like this – the self-test shows), includes the following: Half a cup of uncooked oat flakes mixed with a cup of water and the juice of half a lemon or lime (the quantities vary slightly, depending on the recipe) – and drink it every morning for two months.
How good are oats for your health?
“Oats are a grain that has a high protein content and a healthy amount of fiber. In particular, beta-glucans, which also have a positive effect on cholesterol in the body,” explains nutrition specialist Anne Fleck – the trained internist, rheumatologist and preventive medicine specialist is better known as “Doc Fleck”. Adequate intake of fiber is advisable because it can reduce the risk of heart disease and ensure healthy intestinal activity.
Sounds promising? 100 grams of oat flakes contain around ten grams of fiber – so half a cup contains around four grams of these fiber-rich plant components. We recommend 30 grams per day for an adult. Fleck says: “Unfortunately, most people are far below that. And our ancestors even ate about 150 grams.”
But it is important, says Fleck, that every form of grain also means an omega-6 intake: “And too much omega-6 in the body is unfavorable. There always needs to be a balance between Omega-3 and Omega-6. People who consume too much grain and carbohydrates have a poorer balance.”
The protein avenin contained in oats also has more than just advantages: “It can cause symptoms in humans that are similar to those of gluten intolerance. You always have to remember that health is an individual matter,” says Fleck. One food cannot be equally good for everyone.
Can an oat drink help you lose weight?
Not really. “Fiber generally contributes to satiety and also to the fact that digestion takes longer,” says Fleck. Oats can slow down the movement of food through the intestines – and in theory could actually contribute to slight weight loss.
But the nutrition expert says: “I doubt whether anyone can lose weight through oats.” There are also no studies as to whether an oat-water-lemon mixture contributes to weight loss. Nevertheless, many TikTok users swear by it. One possible reason: The drink replaces an otherwise higher-calorie breakfast, so it only reduces the total daily calorie content and thus promotes an energy deficit. In comparison to a roll with butter and honey, which contains around 366 kilocalories (kcal), half a cup of oat flakes (i.e. around 40 grams) only contains 136 kcal.
But a balanced diet looks different: “Optimal weight loss is achieved through a high proportion of fiber, not just from grains, but also from vegetables, herbs, spices and a high protein content. Protein and fiber are elementary for every person.” There are plenty of options that are just as low in calories as an Oatzempic drink but are far more nutritious and healthy – like a bowl of cereal with fruit. It also contains more proteins – which are important if you want to reduce your weight.
0.8 to one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight is recommended per day – but half a cup of oat flakes contains just 5.4 grams. “However,” says Anne Fleck, “protein can also be prescribed individually. Need depends on physical activity and health. Seriously ill people or competitive athletes have a higher protein requirement – over 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight.”
In addition, the expert adds, carbohydrates must be consumed flexibly after exercise: “Those who move a lot can consume more carbohydrates than those who move little. And it is important to say clearly here: quickly absorbed carbohydrates, i.e. from white flour products, are not good for your health.” And the nutrition expert basically emphasizes: “Being slim does not mean being healthy! 30 to 40 percent of slim people in this country are on the path to insulin resistance – that’s the ramp to diabetes, dementia and potentially cancer.”
That’s why it’s so important to sensitize people to be careful with carbohydrates. You shouldn’t ban them, but you should consume them flexibly – after exercise – and above all you have to keep an eye on the blood sugar stimulus of a food. And yes, oatmeal can also trigger high blood sugar levels.
And the other two ingredients?
Is there added value in water and lemon juice? Adequate fluid intake is important, says Fleck, in order to stay fundamentally healthy and also to promote a healthy weight. (Of course, this doesn’t just mean the one cup in the oat drink. Between 30 and 40 milliliters of water per kilogram of body weight are recommended.) Lemon or lime also have a special effect: “Although their juice tastes sour, it has an alkaline effect in the body. And an alkaline household in the body promotes health and a comfortable weight.”
What does oats have to do with Ozempic?
Nothing. Attributing oatmeal to a weight-reducing effect like the controversial drugs Ozempic or Wegovy is absurd. This is because these active ingredients work in part by mimicking a hormone that the body releases after eating. This slows down the movement of food through the intestines and signals satiety to the brain. However, the amount of the hormone that is also released by eating foods like oats is not nearly as bountiful. In addition, according to Anne Fleck, you can also gain weight with oatmeal meals: “This is due to the higher blood sugar effect of cereals. You have to watch how you react to it.”
What about the yo-yo effect after the two-month challenge is over?
Since it is not a change in eating habits, but a temporary diet, a yo-yo effect is very likely to occur. “It is important to get people to eat an individually tailored diet that they enjoy in everyday life and that allows them to reach their weight without going hungry. Otherwise you are always a victim of the yo-yo effect – and in the worst case, you have starved yourself into being overweight,” says Anne Fleck.
Not to mention that starvation is often an unrealistic weight loss goal that, in the worst case, can lead to an eating disorder. The expert is particularly critical of crash diets with protein shakes, which also contain whey protein, sugar and sweeteners: “This often has a negative effect on the healthy and slimming intestinal flora. In the long term, this is not a recommendation.”
The problem with the promise of quick weight loss
For long-term weight loss, experts recommend losing no more than 250 grams per week, “and that’s a lot,” says Fleck. But Oatzempic promises two kilograms per week. “This goal is by no means desirable; According to obesity experts, a weight loss of five kilograms per year is already considered a success.” A short-term change in diet doesn’t help at all: “You need perseverance if you want to lose weight. This includes a solid diet, regular meals and sufficient exercise and muscle mass,” summarizes Fleck.
And why does everything online always have to be a “challenge”? This includes the assumption that you have to force yourself to do something and that it becomes a “challenge”. But this attitude is often fundamentally wrong. “It takes the experience that you can cope wonderfully with simple, quickly prepared dishes that provide a lot of fiber – i.e. vegetables, herbs, greens, protein and healthy fats – as well as moderate carbohydrates.” Fleck advises that you never set unrealistic goals , but should approach weight loss in a relaxed manner.
How to have a better breakfast
In order to start the day healthy and balanced, Anne Fleck strongly recommends not skipping breakfast. However, you can also start later, which she then calls a “late piece”, in order to keep as long a break as possible between dinner and the late piece. “At least twelve to 13 hours.” However, Fleck restricts this: people who suffer from Hashimoto’s disease, for example, should not miss out on an early breakfast. “Hormone production in particular is an important time in the morning and that’s why the body also needs nutrition.”
