Kenyan doctors raise alarm over risks of weight-loss drugs
By Steve Ireri, August 20, 2026Kenyan doctors have raised concerns over the growing use of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, warning that relying on the injections as a quick route to shedding weight could come with unintended consequences.
Speaking to a local TV station on Thursday, August 20, 2026, Jaspher Omondi Oloo, a nutrition doctor at Aga Khan University Hospital, said patients prescribed weight-loss medications are first encouraged to make changes to their lifestyles and eating habits rather than treating the drugs as a standalone solution.
Oloo said patients are usually referred to the nutrition clinic where they are educated on healthier lifestyle choices and guided on appropriate diets before beginning treatment with weight-loss injections.
“First of all, they are usually sent to our clinic to make some lifestyle changes and to be educated on some of the healthy lifestyle options they can adapt,” he said.
According to Oloo, patients are started on dietary interventions before they begin receiving the injections, with the approach intended to ensure that medication is accompanied by sustainable changes in eating habits.
He warned that people who view weight-loss injections as an easy solution and subsequently neglect their diet could lose a significant amount of muscle while failing to achieve the desired reduction in fat.
“If you are following it as a quick fix and you are not following your diet because you feel happy that you can shed weight the easier way by not eating, you will end up losing much of your muscles, but the fat mass might not reduce as desired by the therapy,” he said.
The nutrition doctor said excessive restriction of food could also trigger cravings, potentially pushing people towards foods and drinks that undermine their weight-loss efforts.
“When people restrict their diet too much, they end up developing cravings and, in most cases, they develop a sweet tooth,” he said.
He said some people subsequently turn to ready-to-drink packaged fruit juices, believing that they are healthier alternatives, while others may increase their consumption of fruits excessively.
Oloo cautioned that some packaged fruit juices contain added sweeteners, despite being marketed as products with no added sugar.
“They will be resorting to ready-to-drink fruit juices, the ones that are packed. They sometimes resort to sugar. Some resort to taking excess fruits, which then make them build more fat,” he said.
He further warned consumers to pay close attention to the ingredients listed on packaged drinks rather than relying solely on marketing claims on the front of the bottle.
According to Oloo, some fruit drinks contain fructose syrup, a sweetener that contributes to their sweetness even when products are promoted with claims such as “no added sugar”.
“These fruit juices are usually sweetened by something called fructose syrup, which makes them as sweet as they are. They tell you ‘no added sugar’, but you find fructose syrup added,” he said.
However, Oloo’s concerns highlight an important distinction between losing weight on the scale and achieving a healthier body composition.
A person may see the number on the weighing scale fall without necessarily achieving the desired reduction in body fat if nutrition and lifestyle changes are neglected.
For patients using weight-loss medication, the nutrition doctor consequently stressed the importance of following professional dietary advice rather than treating the injections as a substitute for healthy eating.
The approach, he said, should be about more than simply watching the numbers on the weighing scale fall.
“You will end up losing much of your muscle, but the fat mass might not reduce as desired by the therapy,” Oloo said.