“I wasn’t able to resist”: a 13-year-old with type 2 diabetes has been taking Ozempic for 1 year

Diabetes, decayed mouths, fatty liver disease, concentration or memory problems: excessive sugar consumption ravages the health of thousands of Quebec children every year. Omnipresent in the food supply, sugar in all its forms is too often trivialized, deplore experts who call for better education and better control to limit the harmful effects.

A 13-year-old boy became diabetic due to his addiction to fizzy and sugary drinks, to the point where he has now had to treat himself with Ozempic injections for a year.

“If there was any in the fridge [du Coca-Cola], I drank it. I was not able to resist, it was just stronger than me to take it,” confides Alexandre Lazur-Lagacé, 13 years old.

A resident of Saint-Lin–Laurentides, the teenager was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a year ago. Even though it is very big [6 pieds 2 pouces], he was significantly overweight: he weighed approximately 375 pounds. At this size, a man should weigh around 200 pounds.

“His pediatrician was worried and sent him for tests,” summarizes his father, François Lagacé.

Caused by poor diet (sugar and fat) and a sedentary lifestyle, type 2 diabetes mainly affects adults. However, over the past 20 years, doctors have observed an increase in diagnoses among obese adolescents and children throughout the world.

Two or three cans a day

In his case, Alexandre does not hide the fact that he was completely addicted to Coca-Cola and drank two or three cans a day (sometimes “diet”) since he was 10 years old.

Each regular can contains 39 grams of sugar (10 teaspoons of sugar). He also drank iced tea, which is very sweet. Note that sweeteners (fake sugars) are not a good health solution since they send a false message of sugar consumption, cause insulin to be secreted and increase hunger, emphasizes pediatrician Julie St-Pierre.

“I took it with meals and then in the evening. I drank more liquor than water,” admits the man who also had a weakness for ice cream and cakes.

His excess weight had become a real problem, since he was no longer able to run.

“We saw his weight increase from month to month,” adds his father, who was worried about the number on the scale. Especially since we knew he would stop growing at some point.”

In February 2023, the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes was received. Since then, Alexandre has had to take an Ozempic injection every week to control his blood sugar levels. In recent years, this medication has been very popular for weight loss among people who are unable to lose weight.

“At first, it was still a shock,” admits the boy who has lost around 25 pounds over the past year. I knew we had to cut, but in moderation because if we deprive ourselves too much, it won’t work.

A drastic reduction

The teenager has reduced his consumption of soft drinks to one or two cans per week and is drinking more water. He also really enjoys cooking and has changed his diet, but keeps a few sweet treats during the week. His goal is to reach a weight between 200 and 250 pounds.

“It was hard at the beginning, but I know it’s for my health that I’m doing it,” emphasizes the young man who has regained energy. »

“I don’t know if I’ll get better at some point, but the diabetes is under control, so it’s not worse. I’ll always have to be careful.”

Another impact of his obesity, Alexandre was the victim of fatphobia and bullying at school. He has been homeschooled for a few months.

For the secondary 1 student, this change in lifestyle only represents positive things. He also points out that most of the students he met have a favorite sweet drink and that some drink it every day.

“No matter what you drink, it’s going to have repercussions,” he said. At some point, it will catch up with them.”