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

4.6 | 189 ratings

Price: 17.72

Last update: 06-24-2024

Top reviews from the United States

kenjillers

Miracle Pill by Johann Hari

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2024

This is a very important book! Hari is a great writer. The book is interesting, thought-provoking and timely. I’ve shared it with friends that are not overweight and they found it interesting as well.

L&HFord

An Easy Read

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2024

I was afraid when someone suggested this book it would be like reading a medical journal. Not at all, was very easy to read. Some humor, some numbers, person stories.
At one point I said I was swearing offALL food. The system in America is disgusting. Shame on all of us for letting it happen. I can make changes in my life and the ones I love, but I don’t see the government and food industry changing anything any time soon. Read this book.

D. Goulian

The first half is excellent. The second half fairly useless.

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024

The first half of the book was an excellent documentary on the new weight loss drugs, i.e. Ozempic. The author is not a scientist, but that turns out to be a big plus as he delves into the complicated pro and cons of using the drugs to lose weight. His easy-to-read prose makes the book move fast – it was hard to put down. His story takes place over a year while he is actually injecting himself with the drug, so his direct experience and insight was fascinating to those of us considering this method of weight loss. We all know someone who has successfully lost weight injecting themselves with a GLP-1 drug, and we are all wondering the same thing: would this be good for me or a loved one?

During his weight loss adventure, he travels the country interviewing scientists and other experts in the field asking the tough, introspective questions about why the drugs work and the what the side effects are. And ultimately, he addresses the big question on every one’s mind: is using GLP-1 to lose weight cheating? Why does it seem to be the only last hope many of us have to reaching our goal weight?

Unfortunately, he loses something in the second half of the book. He gets into a fair amount of what can best be described as “psychobabble” trying to get to bottom of why obesity is so prevalent in western society. He seems to lose all interest in his personal Ozempic journey. Then, he really lost me when spends a good chunk of his book advance on a boondoggle trip to Japan with his nephew where they “discover” the “incredible” difference between the western diet and the Japanese diet. This, to me, was not illuminating at all and only seemed to be an indulgence in western-shaming. Spoiler alert: We don’t eat like the Japanese, and we never will.

What would have been a more useful way to wrap up his book IMHO, would have been to research why half of us eating the same western diet don’t wind up obese. Is it mainly genetics or environment? Is it that some move more than others? Do some of us have an innate disinterest in food? Is it different metabolisms? All of the above?

I still think this is a very good book, I just wish he hadn't lost his focus.

Don

Important Book to read before/during taking weight loss medications

Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2024

As someone about to start weight loss medications, this book intrigued me. On the one hand, I didn't want to read it, but felt like it was in my interest to do so. After all, so i thought, isn't taking these medications a no-brainer? Sure, some initial side effects, but a strong likelihood of weight loss. As i read Jonathan's book, i found myself unable to put it down. I was drawn to important questions he raises about the risks (both known and unknown) about taking these medications, but also the more complicated, deeper questions that many of us having about our relationship with food. The ways that our eating habits can be very deep rooted and formed around early, developmental relational issues with our caretakers and sustained as coping mechanisms well into adulthood. Being aware of these deeper issues relational issues around food are important to trying them--if one chooses to--with eyes-widen open and accepting their limitations and possible unintended consequences that come with potential successful weight loss. This is a very compelling read that i will come back to as a reference in my journey ahead.

Richard Larson

Great book discusses pros and cons of GLP-1s

Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2024

Well written from the perspective of someone who has both researched the science and side effects while taking the drug.

Amazon Customer

Not what I expected.

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2024

My expectations were more about the negative effects of the long term use of the meds and how people were able to deal with or overcome them. The drug use dilemma described was more about how many users were abusing the system causing a drug shortage for those that needed it most.

Kindle Customer

Timely and balanced

Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2024

The author lays out the history of these drugs, possible benefits and possible risks, all in a conversational, easy manner. I really appreciate the personal insights. There's a lot to think about with regard to these drugs, and he talked about some of these issues. It's a quick, enjoyable read, and I will check out the author's other books.

Dr. James F. Richardson

Surfaces the Buried Insight Behind Excessive Weight Gain in America

Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2024

Hari is at his best, surfacing the overlooked truths behind our modern way of life. The invisibility of our low-satiety diet in the modern world, especially snack food, is his latest contribution to policy debates about how to improve the American diet without resorting to magic pills. We should not need pharma solutions to this public health tragedy.

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