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Weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy were born from a breakthrough in type 2 diabetes treatment, tricking users into feeling full. But these drugs are proving so transformative that entire industries are being disrupted. Fast food giants, supermarkets, dialysis kit makers and beer companies, all of which rely on a steady stream of obese customers, are feeling the squeeze. Ozempic''s creator, the Danish company Novo Nordisk, has metamorphosed into a behemoth with a market capitalisation of almost half a trillion dollars. Countless celebrities, from Oprah Winfrey to Elon Musk sing Ozempic''s praises. The story of obesity drugs, however, goes far beyond billion dollar profits. Their invention is set to change the world in profound ways and crystallises difficult questions about inequality and morality. Off the Scale is not a parable of good versus evil, but a deeply human narrative that lays bare some of our deepest impulses and fears. There are heroes who work for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, and there are ordinary people who, in their quest to become thin, are taking vital drugs intended for people who are morbidly obese. As the popularity of Ozempic continues to grow, one question looms in the minds of investors, healthcare workers and politicians: are these drugs too good to be true? Aimee Donnellan marshals the evidence to forecast the future of these drugs-and examines what their explosive popularity tells us about our ideals of beauty, the lengths to which people will go in order to become thin, the current state of healthcare, and the workings of the pharmaceutical industry.
About the author
Aimee Donnellanis a columnist at Reuters, where her reporting has focused on the pharmaceutical, airline, and insurance industries since 2017. Previously she was the
Sunday Timesbanking correspondent
, and covered the bond market for the
International Financing Review. She holds degrees in English and History from the University of Galway and in journalism from the London School of Journalism. She lives in Galway with her wife and two children.
Off the Scales is her first book.
Report
'Ultimately, the book presents a scathing critique of the big corporations that have shamelessly leveraged people's insecurities to get rich, and offers a mixed prognosis for the future: Ozempic may hold a world of promise, but there could be a far darker side that we're only just starting to see' Josie Cox, author of Women Money Power
'Off the Scales captures the many facets of this fast-moving story, including the decades of scientific research that led to their creation, the stories of early patients and the culture change required to understand obesity as a medical condition rather than a character flaw. Donnellan is a gifted storyteller who brings complicated subjects to life and offers a hopeful vision for how these therapies are transforming lives and reshaping our approach to health care' Leana Wen, M.D., author of Lifelines
'A riveting read about one of the most important medical advances of our time. Aimee Donnellan captures the drama behind the science, the cast of characters who devoted their lives to it, the cut-throat world of drug development and explores the wider implications for society, health and business in this deeply researched book' John Collingridge, Guardian business editor
'A tangled plot stuffed with big money, towering egos, and innovative science, capably told and without an ounce of flab ... "The potential ripple effects of this healthcare revolution are difficult to overstate," Donnellan comments, and she makes this abundantly clear in her rich, even action-packed narrative of medical discovery'Kirkus Review
'[An] enlightening debut history of Ozempic and its societal impact ... Donnellan cogently sizes up its future potential: GLP-1 could lead to a healthier population empowered to demand healthier foods and living conditions, or it could further expand the gulf between rich and poor. It makes for an astute, fair-minded primer on the drug' Publishers Weekly
