(WJW) – It is being called the worst-kept secret in Hollywood. A brand-name drug intended for the treatment of patients with diabetes has become something of a magical weight loss regimen for celebrities. But does it work for everyone?

“I happened to be going into the hospital for something else, and they checked my sugar and said ‘Oh, you better see a doctor.’”

74-year-old Beverly Haettich of North Olmsted was just 45 years old when diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

After nearly 30 years of taking pills, injecting insulin, and watching what she ate, last year, her doctor suggested she try using Ozempic.

Beverly’s sugar was almost immediately stabilized. And then she says she had a welcomed side-effect.

“They told me it would be a bonus kind of thing because I really needed to lose the weight. And I found that it really is working well. I’ve lost about 50 pounds.”

Ozempic is a weekly injection you give yourself that causes the body to produce insulin…which lowers blood sugar and slows digestion… Making people feel full.

The drug Wegovy is Ozempic’s weight loss counterpart…both include semaglutide, which suppresses appetite.

The expectation is that this so-called miracle drug allows you to eat whatever you want and still drop the pounds. But if you stop using Ozempic and without the proper diet, doctors say the weight will not so magically come back.

Cleveland Clinic Endocrinology and Obesity Medicine Physician Dr. Reena Bose says obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease and patients need to take a more thorough approach.

“One size does not fit all,” Bose says. “Ozempic is a valuable tool for most of our patients, but it’s not just a medication, it’s also a comprehensive approach. So, focusing on diet, nutrition and exercise. Sleep, stress.”

Beverly Haettich’s starting weight was 221… She’s now down to 174 pounds.

The wife, mom and grandmother says both Ozempic and a strict Mediterranean diet, which can include a moderate amount of chicken, eggs, and seafood, have been life-changing.

“You have to follow a diet; you can’t just eat what you want a lose weight.”