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Johann Hari's compelling but flawed look at the new weight-loss drugs

Drugs like Ozempic may help fight obesity. Johann Hari’s first-person account of taking the new medicines is a fascinating exploration of their impact

By Clare Wilson

1 May 2024

2WG9R5W Ozempic injection pen, ideal for visual content related to diet, diabetes management, insulin therapies, & advancements in pharmaceutical solutions. — Drugs, such as Ozempic, may help turn the rising tide of global obesity
Eggy Sayoga/Alamy

Magic Pill
Johann Hari (Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) Crown Publishing (US))

AS BOTH a cultural phenomenon and one of the most successful new drugs of the 21st century, it was inevitable we would soon see popular science books written about the weight-loss drug Wegovy (also sold as Ozempic) and other similar medicines. Among the first is Magic Pill: The extraordinary benefits and disturbing risks of the new weight-loss drugs by Johann Hari.

For two years, Hari has been fortunate enough, journalistically speaking, to be taking one…

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