Obesity is increasingly understood as a chronic disease rather than merely a consequence of individual lifestyle choices. Semaglutide-based medications, such as Ozempic, have had a significant impact on both medical practice and public debates about weight loss. The aim of this master's thesis is to examine how Ozempic is represented in online news media and on the TikTok platform, and how these discourses shape understandings of obesity, pharmacological treatment, and individual responsibility. The research is based on a qualitative thematic analysis of ten online media articles published between 2022 and 2025 and 248 user comments posted under ten TikTok videos. The theoretical framework draws on sociological theories of individualization, medicalization, biomedicalization, pharmaceuticalization, consumer culture, stigma, and moralization. The findings show that online news media predominantly portray obesity as a chronic disease and present Ozempic as a legitimate form of treatment, while emphasizing responsible prescribing, lifestyle modification, and equitable access to treatment. In contrast, TikTok comments are more strongly characterized by personal experiences, moral judgments, and debates about the legitimacy of using the drug and individual responsibility. The study finds that the medicalization of obesity does not eliminate moralization but rather reshapes it. Whereas moral judgments were once primarily directed at body weight and perceived lack of self-discipline, they are now increasingly focused on the legitimacy of using weight-loss medications, eligibility for treatment, and individuals' responsibility for managing their own health.
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