In Magic Pill, Johann Hari’s weak study of Ozempic, obesity and addiction leaves a bad aftertaste

Non-fiction

Scottish journalist and author Johann Hari. Photo: WireImage

JP O' Malley

Ozempic is the most successful weight-loss drug in history, so far. Magic Pill begins by explaining how the drug works. Manufactured by Danish corporation, Novo Nordisk, it mimics a hormone called GLP-1, which causes a ‘full’ signal to be sent to the brain after eating, thus reducing appetite.

Two years ago, when Johann Hari started taking the drug he weighed 92 kilos. The Scottish journalist and best-selling author lost a huge amount of weight instantly. But the drug’s potential side effects are extreme, and can include a racing heartbeat, prolonged anxiety, violent nausea, malnutrition and stomach paralysis.