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Magic Pill

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What to expect

'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

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.

Critics Review

  • 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 Maté

  • 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

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