There has been an 'Ozempic' for men in Hollywood for decades. We just don’t talk about it.

Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic have exploded in popularity these past few years.

The drugs are mostly made to treat Type 2 Diabetes but also induce weight loss, which has led to a rapid rise in use.

Celebs like Roxy Jacenko, Amy Schumer, Tracy Morgan, Sharon Osbourne, Chelsea Handler and Remi Bader have all spoken openly about using these drugs - and there are likely many more who are keeping their weight loss 'secret' under wraps. 

Watch: How to improve your daughter's body image. Post continues after video.

There is also a culture of shame around using weight loss drugs, though, with many suggesting that those using them are somehow 'cheating the system'.

Unsurprisingly, this shaming is largely directed at women. 

It's something the actor Busy Phillips recently discussed with Lovett or Leave It podcast host Jon Lovett.

"The entire culture is built around shaming and being horrible, especially to women who are overweight, so I don't give a f**k about body positivity or body neutrality," she said. "Let people have it without shame. I'm sorry... I'm so f**king sick of it all."

Phillips also highlighted the industry's double standards, stating that for decades men in Hollywood have been using Human Growth Hormones, or 'HGH', to get into superhero shape. 

"All these motherf**kers have been on HGH forever. I never saw one f**king Time magazine cover about it. The men are all on HGH. That's why all the superheroes and movie stars have been so fit after age 40. What do you think has happened? They're on drugs," the actor noted. 

"Then all of a sudden Ozempic comes along and people are like, 'Oh, that's a f**king big deal.' Like, 'We can’t have that.' What in God's name do you think has been happening?" Philipps continued. 

"It's all... people hate women so much. We didn't create the system that we live in."

Injections of HGH are said to help the recipient "lose fat, lessen wrinkles, and increase lean muscle mass", and according to The Hollywood Reporter have long been popular among A-list men. 

In 2021, Vox called HGH the "open secret to looking like a superhero" — two years before Hollywood and the rest of the world caught onto Ozempic and caused a shortage of the drug.

Oliver Stone, Nick Nolte, Mark Wahlberg, Hugh Jackman, Sylvester Stallone and billionaire Peter Thiel are all rumoured to have dabbled in the injections. 

Hollywood trainer Happy Hill told Grantland Magazine in 2013 that they estimate at least "20 per cent of actors use PEDs [performance-enhancing substances] to bulk up and define."

While not exactly the same as weight loss drugs like Ozempic, it's easy to understand Phillips' comparison - and the notable lack of criticism or shaming of men who use HGH. 

While the use of HGH in Hollywood is rarely spoken about, Ozempic has spurred plenty of front page covers, including New York Magazine, The Economist, as well as articles in the New York Times that have questioned if the "miracle weight loss drug" is really all it's cracked up to be.

Feature Image: Canva/ Instagram @markwahlber, @sylvesterstallone, @thehughjackman.