Magic Pill
The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight Loss Drugs
Published on 2. May 2024
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-1-5266-7015-1 (ISBN)
Description
'A wonderfully accessible exploration of one of the most complex problems of our age' TELEGRAPH
'Magic Pill will help you think more clearly about eating, dieting, health and mental health, even if you never touch Ozempic' JONATHAN HAIDT
The bestselling author of Lost Connections and Stolen Focus takes a revelatory look at the new drugs transforming weight loss as we know it - sharing his personal experience on Ozempic and examining our ability to heal 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, one in four of the British population will be taking these drugs. While around 80 per cent of diets fail, someone taking one of the new drugs is likely to lose up to a quarter of their body weight in six months. To the drugs' defenders, this 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 magical illusion? 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 issues. He found that along with the drugs' massive benefits come twelve significant potential risks. He also learned that these drugs radically challenge what we think we know about shame, willpower and healing.
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 could be as transformative as the invention of the smartphone.
'A brilliant synthesis of so much important information. Really important, and very necessary' STEPHEN FRY
'Compassionate, wise and mind-expanding . . . A must read' PHILIPPA PERRY
'Magic Pill will help you think more clearly about eating, dieting, health and mental health, even if you never touch Ozempic' JONATHAN HAIDT
The bestselling author of Lost Connections and Stolen Focus takes a revelatory look at the new drugs transforming weight loss as we know it - sharing his personal experience on Ozempic and examining our ability to heal 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, one in four of the British population will be taking these drugs. While around 80 per cent of diets fail, someone taking one of the new drugs is likely to lose up to a quarter of their body weight in six months. To the drugs' defenders, this 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 magical illusion? 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 issues. He found that along with the drugs' massive benefits come twelve significant potential risks. He also learned that these drugs radically challenge what we think we know about shame, willpower and healing.
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 could be as transformative as the invention of the smartphone.
'A brilliant synthesis of so much important information. Really important, and very necessary' STEPHEN FRY
'Compassionate, wise and mind-expanding . . . A must read' PHILIPPA PERRY
Reviews / Votes
Hari is excellent on the booming ultra-processed food industry and the science of addiction that drives it . . . Magic Pill is a wonderfully accessible exploration of one of the most complex problems of our age -- Paul Nuki * Telegraph * A brilliant synthesis of so much important information. Really important, and very necessary -- Stephen Fry Compassionate, wise and mind-expanding . . . A must read -- Philippa Perry It is balanced and shocking, vitally important and crucially non-judgemental. I learned so much -- Davina McCall In Magic Pill, Johann Hari gives us a crash course on the new weight-loss drugs that will soon be transforming bodies, minds and societies on a massive scale. Magic Pill will help you think more clearly about eating, dieting, health and mental health, even if you never touch Ozempic -- Jonathan Haidt, author of THE ANXIOUS GENERATION In Magic Pill, Johann Hari marshals his trademark talents at meticulous research, incisive prose, telling anecdote and keen insight to dissect yet another of our dysfunctional culture's troubling features: the obesity epidemic of the past few decades and its treatments. Entertaining without trivializing and deeply informative without being prescriptive, this book leaves us with much to ponder, both on the individual and social levels -- Gabor Mate Magic Pill is a fascinating exploration of weight-loss pharmaceuticals that will redefine our approach to obesity . . . This book is not just a personal story, but an examination of how these drugs interact with social norms and personal health, promising liberation - and new psychological dilemmas. As we stand on the brink of a medical revolution, Magic Pill is a vital guide through the complex scientific, emotional, and cultural landscape of this new frontier -- Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of THE POWER OF HABIT Compelling, thoughtful and fascinating, a revealing and inspiring meditation on weight loss, addiction, and the new drugs that may change the way we think about and treat obesity -- Maia Szalavitz With the intense interest in the new miracle weight-loss drugs, we need a balanced look at their promise and peril. Entertaining and highly-readable, Johann Hari's Magic Pill delivers the information people need to help make a medical decision that might change their future -- Arthur C. Brookes, bestselling author of FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTHMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 237 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
550 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5266-7015-1 (9781526670151)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2024
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
€16.99
Available for download
Person
Johann Hari is the author of three previous internationally bestselling books, translated into 40 languages. His TED talks have been viewed over 80 million times, and his work has been praised by a broad range of people, from Oprah to Noam Chomsky to Joe Rogan. He was also the executive producer of an Oscar nominated film, and an eight-part TV series with Samuel L. Jackson.
@johannhari101
@johannhari101