Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight-Loss Drugs [Large Print]

By Johann Hari

Book Overview

The bestselling author of Lost Connections and Stolen Focus offers a revelatory look at the new drugs transforming weight loss as we know it--from his personal experience on Ozempic to our ability to heal our society's dysfunctional relationship with food, weight, and our bodies.

In January 2023, Johann Hari started to inject himself once a week with Ozempic, one of the new drugs that produces significant weight loss. He wasn't alone--some predictions suggest that in a few years, a quarter of the U.S. population will be taking these drugs. While around 80 percent of diets fail, someone taking one of the new drugs will lose up to a quarter of their body weight in six months. To the drugs' defenders, here is a moment of liberation from a condition that massively increases your chances of diabetes, cancer, and an early death.

Still, Hari was wildly conflicted. Can these drugs really be as good as they sound? Are they a magic solution--or a magic trick? Finding the answer to this high-stakes question led him on a journey from Iceland to Minneapolis to Tokyo, and to interview the leading experts in the world on these questions. He found that along with the drug's massive benefits come twelve significant potential risks.

He also found that these drugs radically challenge what we think we know about shame, willpower, and healing. What do they reveal about the nature of obesity itself? What psychological issues begin to emerge when our eating patterns are suddenly disrupted? Are the drugs a liberation or a further symptom of our deeply dysfunctional relationship with food?

These drugs are about to change our world, for better and for worse. Everybody needs to understand how they work--scientifically, emotionally, and culturally. Magic Pill is an essential guide to the revolution that has already begun, and which one leading expert argues will be as transformative as the invention of the smartphone.

• Format: Paperback
• Large Print: Yes
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593948998
• ISBN13: 9780593948996
• Release Date: May 2024
• Publisher: Random House Large Print Publishing
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Health Fix or Deeper Problem?

Johann Hari’s Magic Pill is a fascinating and timely exploration of GLP-1 drugs and their impact on obesity and diabetes. These medications are life-changing for many, but Hari reminds us they are not a cure-all for the broader health crises tied to weight and diet. He does an excellent job balancing the excitement around these drugs with a critical look at their short-term benefits and potential long-term risks. What stands out most is Hari’s sharp critique of the industries fueling our health problems. He exposes the broken, profit-driven systems behind healthcare, processed foods, and pharmaceuticals, showing how they contribute to widespread poor health. While these drugs address acute issues for individuals, they do little to tackle the root causes. Hari also raises valid concerns about misuse, especially among people with eating disorders or unhealthy obsessions with weight. This book is both eye-opening and a call to rethink how we approach health.