Wave of American teens are using laxatives as ‘budget Ozempic’ as part of TikTok trend –
Miralax, one of the most popular fiber supplements, is becoming hard to come by
A wave of American teens are using laxatives as a ‘budget Ozempic’ to feel skinnier, which is contributing to a shortage of the stool-loosening drugs.
Demand is beginning to outstrip supply for polyethylene glycol 3350, the generic name for laxatives like Miralax and Glycolax.
The teens descending on the laxatives may mean that people who actually need them to treat genuine constipation cannot access the drug, such as those with Crohn’s disease.
Laxatives may give the impression of short-term weight loss, but only water weight is lost and is put back on when someone drinks again.
An aging population in America, as well as a general lack of fiber in diets, is also causing the laxative shortage.
The hashtag #guttok has over 1.1 billion views on TikTok
A wave of American teens are using laxatives as a ‘budget Ozempic’ to feel skinnier, which is contributing to a shortage of the stool-loosening drugs
Eating disorder specialist Dr Jenna DiLossi told the Wall Street Journal she had seen a sharp rise in teenage patients abusing laxatives over the past two years, with some viewing it as an over-the-counter form of Ozempic.
Laxatives are drugs that loosen stools and increase bowel movements and are used to treat and prevent constipation. They work by drawing in water or physically stimulating the colon to contract.
Some people might think that laxatives will help them poop out what they have eaten before the body absorbs the calories, meaning they will lose weight.
But this is false. The food we eat goes through many processes before it reaches your bowel and becomes stool.
The body absorbs the calories, fat, and the majority of nutrients before they reach the large intestine.
What is left is mainly water and some minerals which your body does not need. Some of it is absorbed by the body in the large intestine.
If someone takes laxatives and loses weight, they are only losing water. As soon as they drink something, they will regain the weight back.
Prior to the pandemic, Dr DiLossi said new clients rarely responded ‘yes’ to laxative use in intake surveys.
The clinical psychologist from Pennsylvania said that now, at least three of the five new teens she typically sees a week admit to having tried a laxative for weight loss.
‘When people have an excessive bowel movement and they feel completely empty inside, that gets wrapped up in thinness and health,’ she said.
Dr DiLossi said teens told her they got the idea to try laxatives from TikTok, where the hashtag #GutTok has garnered 1.1 billion views.
She said that even the videos that do not directly promote laxatives for weight loss still endorse the idea that going to the bathroom more often is better for you.
According to analytics company Pattern, searches for laxative pills on Amazon have more than tripled over the past year.
Meanwhile, the companies manufacturing the fiber supplements Metamucil and Benefiber have reported huge sales growth in recent years.
Dow Chemical, which makes pharmaceutical ingredients for drug companies, is building new factories which employees said is partly to produce more polyethylene glycol — the laxative that has been hard to get since the pandemic. Polyethylene glycol is also used in cleaning products and moisturizers.
Surprisingly, growing numbers of younger customers are using fiber supplements, suppliers say.
Haleon, the manufacturer of Benefiber, a popular plant-based fiber supplement, said that 18-42-year-olds are copping the supplement quicker than ever.
Jissan Cherian, who is head of marketing at Haleon and notes that its messaging has not altered, said: ‘The demand has changed.’
He thinks the move is due to millennials becoming more focused on wellness and an increasing awareness of the relationship between gut bacteria and depression.
Earlier this year, Haleon launched a gummy version of its product to appeal specifically to young adults.