91色情片

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 of these medicines of the moment, which work by mimicking a gut hormone called GLP-1, normally released after eating to make us feel full. Hari tells their story through the irresistible literary device of being his own case study.

The Ozempic phenomenon falls squarely in my beat as health reporter at New Scientist, but I began reading Magic Pill with trepidation. Hari is infamous in British media circles for resigning in disgrace from The Independent newspaper in 2012 after being caught plagiarising and maliciously editing Wikipedia pages about his critics.

After apologising and saying that he would take journalism training, Hari has reinvented himself as a non-fiction writer specialising in medical controversies.

Despite my reservations, I couldn鈥檛 put Magic Pill down. Hari bares his soul about his personal battles with weight and Ozempic鈥檚 unpleasant side effects. He also explores why obesity rates have been climbing in almost every country in the world, and skilfully recounts how these drugs were discovered and what we are still learning about how they work.

The chapter on Japan鈥檚 approach to preventing obesity is fascinating. It is clear that Western countries could learn from some initiatives, such as the focus on healthy school meals. But others are unlikely to be widely transferable, such as the measures by some companies to keep their workers trim 鈥� including by tracking their weight, exercise and meals.

Cynics might complain that, in his previous books, Hari was keener to 鈥減ill shame鈥� when it came to medicines for depression and ADHD than with a drug that he personally benefits from. That would be unfair, as Hari bends over backwards to explore potential problems with the GLP-1 mimics. These range from the obvious 鈥� such as the risk that they will be abused by people with eating disorders 鈥� to the speculative, such as that people may be harmed if they can no longer use overeating as an emotional crutch, something Hari says he does.

More concerning is when he seems to exaggerate the science, perhaps due to misunderstandings, misplaced faith in some of his celebrity scientist interviewees or the need to weave a compelling narrative.

For instance, Hari seems to misinterpret the conclusions we should draw from an important but brief trial comparing processed foods with whole foods, when he implies that junk food makes people eat 500 more calories a day than they need, in perpetuity. Clearly that couldn鈥檛 possibly be correct.

Another issue for me is that, although we don鈥檛 know why obesity rates are rising, Hari regurgitates dogmatic claims from whichever scientist he has just interviewed, whether they blame blood sugar spikes, artificial sweeteners or damage to the gut microbiome. These factors are certainly suspects for contributing to rising obesity, but as yet there is no hard evidence.

For example, Hari repeats one scientist鈥檚 unlikely claim that your gut bacteria are 鈥渏ust as important as your brain鈥�. This must come as a surprise to people happily walking around after the surgical removal of their entire colon, the home to nearly all our gut bacteria.

These caveats aside, I would still recommend this book for anyone taking, or considering taking, any of these weight-loss drugs or anyone who just wants to know about their wider impact.

Unlike much of the commentary on this topic, which focuses on short-term problems, such as the drugs鈥� high cost, Hari gets that, in time, they could have as big an impact as the arrival of antidepressants, speculating how they may reshape global health.

I found it a fascinating read.