There Is No 'Drinkable Wegovy': The ₩32.4 Billion Truth Behind Illegal Diet Foods Using AI Fake Doctors
Illegal general food products mimicking the obesity drug 'Wegovy' — marketed as 'drinkable Wegovy' — deployed AI-generated fake doctors to run fraudulent ads, selling ₩32.4 billion worth of products. The scheme was exposed by KBS reporting and a Korea Consumer Agency investigation.
Image: Wegovy (semaglutide) obesity treatment injection pen — Source: Wikimedia Commons, © Skyler Ewing / CC BY-SA 4.0
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Ozempic_2022_03.jpg)
Why does this matter now? Fake diet products riding the Wegovy craze are deceiving consumers by deploying AI-generated fake doctors in their ads. With an illegal market worth ₩32.4 billion now exposed, warnings have emerged that these products are not just ineffective — they are dangerous to your health.
TL;DR
- Ordinary food products impersonating the obesity drug 'Wegovy' brand are running large-scale illegal ads on social media and online shopping platforms
- KBS News 9 (2026-02-24) and Korea Consumer Agency investigation: 5 companies sold a combined ₩32.4 billion worth of products
- AI-generated 'fake doctor' videos were used in ads — simultaneously flagged by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Consumer Agency
- 'Drinkable Wegovy' and 'edible Wegovy' do not legally exist and have no proven effect
- To protect yourself, always verify a product's recognized status on Food Safety Korea before purchasing
The Facts: What Happened
KBS News 9 broke the story exclusively on February 24, 2026. Riding the explosive popularity of the obesity drug 'Wegovy (Wegovy),' ordinary food products have been openly distributed under names like 'drinkable Wegovy' and 'edible Wegovy.'
An investigation by the Korea Consumer Agency's Safety Monitoring Bureau revealed that 5 related companies sold ₩32.4 billion worth of products over approximately 18 months from January 2023 to June 2024. These products were not health functional foods or pharmaceuticals — they were plain ordinary foods.
Even more shocking was the advertising method. AI-generated fake doctor images were inserted into videos as if they were real medical specialists, certifying the diet effects. This constitutes false and exaggerated advertising under the Food Sanitation Act and is a clear violation of the law.
How It Spread: Why Did This Go So Far?
1. Explosive Demand Created by the 'Wegovy Myth'
Wegovy (active ingredient: semaglutide) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist-based obesity treatment that was officially launched in Korea in October 2024. It demonstrated an average 14.9% body weight reduction in clinical trials, and news of celebrities including Elon Musk and Oprah Winfrey using it sparked a global craze. Domestic prescription demand surged and supply shortages followed.
2. A Low-Barrier 'Knockoff' Market
The real Wegovy requires a specialist prescription and carries a high price tag. Exploiting this gap, ordinary food products targeting consumers searching for 'a similar name, cheaper alternative' mushroomed everywhere.
3. Social Media Algorithms + AI-Generated Ads
Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Shorts' personalized algorithms precisely targeted diet-interested consumers with these ads. AI-generated 'doctor' videos cost almost nothing to produce yet effectively boosted credibility. From the consumer's perspective, they look just like expert recommendation videos — making it easy to be deceived.
Context and Background: Who Are the Stakeholders?
| Stakeholder | Role | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Consumers | Victims | Money wasted on ineffective products; potential health harm |
| Illegal advertising companies | Perpetrators | 5 companies caught; ₩32.4 billion in revenue |
| Korea Consumer Agency | Oversight & detection agency | Safety Monitoring Bureau conducted investigation; tipped off KBS |
| Ministry of Food and Drug Safety | Regulatory body | Separately identified false advertising companies |
| Novo Nordisk | Official Wegovy manufacturer | Victim of brand name misappropriation |
Outlook: How Long Will This Issue Last?
Estimated lifespan: 1–3 days of breaking news + medium-term regulatory issue
In the short term, reports on similar products are expected to surge following this KBS coverage. Over the medium term, it is likely to lead to discussions about strengthening regulations on illegal advertising using AI-generated content. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has already been developing crackdown standards for 'AI deepfake medical advertising' since the second half of 2025.
As long as the 'Wegovy craze' does not cool, the market for similar products will continue. The domestic obesity market is currently estimated at over ₩1 trillion annually, and the GLP-1 treatment market is expected to grow to a global scale of $100 billion by 2030.
Derivative Issues and Secondary Arguments
- AI Deepfake Medical Advertising Regulation: Fake doctor videos can extend beyond simple exaggerated advertising into controversies over 'medical law violations' and 'obligation to disclose AI-generated content.'
- Platform Accountability: Debate over the responsibility of platforms like YouTube and Instagram for failing to filter out these ads
- Access to Genuine Wegovy: Supply shortages and high prescription barriers are the structural causes fueling the fake product market
- Increased demand for stricter health functional food labeling standards
Consumer Checklist
Risk Assessment
- 🔴 Misinformation risk: Low — KBS News 9 exclusive + official Korea Consumer Agency announcement
- 🟡 Investment overheating: Medium — possibility of domestic biotech stocks related to GLP-1 surging
- 🔴 Consumer harm: High — hundreds of thousands of consumers estimated to have already purchased similar products
- 🟡 Privacy: Medium — possible existence of victims (original subjects) of AI deepfake doctor images
Reference Links
- KBS News: Diet Products Piggybacking on Wegovy Craze — Actually 'Ordinary Foods'
- Food Safety Korea — Health Functional Food Recognition Status Inquiry
- KBS News: 5 Companies Caught for Illegal Ads Selling Ordinary Foods as 'Edible Wegovy'
- KBS News: Game-Changer 'Wegovy' Launches in Korea
Image source: Wikimedia Commons — Ozempic/Wegovy (semaglutide) injection pen © Skyler Ewing / CC BY-SA 4.0