TikTok has a new nutrition trend as influencers spruik the allegedly remarkable weight-loss benefits of the cleverly-named “oatzempic” drink.

The name combines a reference to oats – the main ingredient in the drink – with a play on Ozempic, the diabetes drug that has become popular for weight loss.

It’s important to note, however, that Ozempic is not an ingredient.

Typically, oatzempic is made by combining oats, water and lime juice, with TikTokers claiming it helped them lose as much as 18 kilograms in just two months.

TikTok is awash with videos of users sharing their oatzempic journeys, showing their meal plans, recipes and apparent progress. Experts, however, are sceptical and warn people looking for quick weight reductions to be wary – and at least one TikToker has a more rational approach to the trend.

Krista Williamson, a dietitian who goes by the TikTok name of @balancewithkrista posted a video of herself trying oatzempic with her assessment in the comments.

“Comparing this blended oatmeal drink to a powerful weight loss drug is silly,” Williamson said.

“Will this drink magically help you lose 40 pounds in 2 months? Probably not. BUT eating a higher fibre diet can help you feel more satiated, help you reduce your overall food intake, and help reduce your cravings which can lead to weight loss. (It doesn’t have to be this oatmeal slurry, it can be foods that actually taste good!),” she said.

Williamson said that instead of “choking down the drink”, people could probably get similar results by just eating a bowl of porridge.

“The drink is not inherently harmful, but it’s important to know that whatever you do to lose the weight you have to be able to maintain to keep the weight off.”

Another dietitian on TikTok, Taylor Grasso (@simplyhealthyrd), advised followers that when a trend promised a specific amount of weight loss in a specific time to “run so fast in the opposite direction”.

Lisa Valente, a US dietitian and nutrition editor at the Healthline publication, said the oatzempic trend was little more than “clever marketing for something that has no merit behind it”.

“Blended oat drinks are not the same as prescription drugs. It also seems like a dangerous trend that promotes disordered eating and isn’t nutritionally sound or based in science,” she told CBS News.

Another dietician, Maggie Evans of virtual cardiometabolic care platform 9amHealth, described the trend as an “extreme measure”.

“As we’ve seen before, whether it’s Master Cleanse, water fasts or other extreme diets, these [trends] may result in short-term weight loss results, but aren’t the healthiest or most sustainable way to achieve that weight loss,” Evans said.

While TikTok hasn’t blocked the term as it did with other body-image trends like “legging legs”, when users search for “oatzempic”, a banner occasionally appears saying “you are more than your weight”, with links to help resources. 

Valentine said the theory behind oatzempic was not a safe way to lose weight.

“Fast weight loss can be possible when you restrict calories significantly, and this drink is quite low in calories,” she said.

“If you are using it as a meal replacement, it may lead to fast weight loss. However, I wouldn’t recommend it.”

While the ingredients of oatzempic are not unhealthy in themselves, experts note the drink lacks key nutrients such as protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

“There are other safer, healthier ways to lose weight that involve making small changes to your diet and don’t remove entire foods or food groups,” Valente said. 

Chief medical officer of 9amHealth, Dr Avantika Waring, said weight loss attributed to oatzempic would probably not be sustainable.

“If a person stops the oatzempic diet, they’re likely to regain the weight they lost and may end up in a yo-yo dieting cycle,” Waring said.

“We know that medically, losing and regaining weight repeatedly can actually make sustaining a healthy weight harder.”