‘Natural Wegovy’ egg recipe stirs weight-loss buzz in South Korea

As weight-loss injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro gain traction in South Korea, a more affordable trend has emerged on social media: an egg and olive oil recipe touted as a "natural Wegovy."

This recipe, typically featuring boiled eggs, extra virgin olive oil, and pepper, is circulating online with claims that it boosts the body's secretion of GLP-1, a hormone associated with feeling full and reducing food intake. Users have drawn comparisons to injectable GLP-1 drugs, although health experts emphasize that the effects are vastly different.

The trend has exploded across South Korean social media platforms, with numerous online communities and entertainers sharing purported weight-loss successes. Short-form videos introducing the recipe under titles like "natural Wegovy" have garnered hundreds of thousands of views, with one popular YouTuber's video exceeding 3.58 million views in just five days.

Variations incorporating local tastes, such as sesame oil or perilla oil, have also appeared. The high cost of prescription weight-loss drugs in South Korea, with Wegovy averaging around 290,000 won (approximately $245) per month and Mounjaro costing 430,000 won, further fuels interest in this accessible alternative. Experts acknowledge that the protein and fat in eggs can slow digestion and potentially influence appetite hormones like GLP-1, contributing to a sense of fullness. However, they strongly caution against viewing this diet as a replacement for medical advice or a shortcut to weight loss, noting that excessive oil intake increases calorie consumption and that naturally released GLP-1 is less potent and shorter-lasting than that from prescription drugs. Individuals with obesity, diabetes, or other metabolic conditions are advised to consult healthcare professionals rather than rely on viral diet trends.

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Cholesterol and protein in eggs provide a much greater sense of fullness than many people expect. When olive oil is consumed together with eggs, hormones released naturally in the body can help people feel fuller on their own.