In 2022, coming out of lockdown, Johann Hari went to a party with Hollywood celebrities. He noticed that unlike him and his friends who had all gained weight in lockdown, these people had all somehow lost a lot weight. It wasn't because they had taken up pilates. It was because of a new generation of injectable drugs, designed for diabetics, except that no one was speaking about it.
Immediately he felt conflicted about these drugs. On one hand, it seemed as though they may have the ability to significantly improve the health risks associated with obesity; but there was also a dark side that he felt the need to investigate.
Johann decided he would interview over 100 of the world's leading experts in science, medicine and the body positivity space to create his latest book "Magic Pill. The extraordinary benefits and disturbing risks of new weight loss drugs.”
In this episode, we speak about:
When Johann first became aware of drugs like Ozempic
Fatphobia, stigma and shame that we have been conditioned to experience in our culture
What these drugs could mean for people who already experience disordered eating
How these drugs work and Johann's personal experiences on them
The potential health benefits that they may have
The risks and unknown outcomes of this class of drugs
How weight is a 'status' symbol in our society
Whether these drugs should solely be available for diabetics
The potential future outcomes of weight loss drugs & what they could mean for our economy
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Hosted by Laura Byrne & Keeshia Pettit
Produced by Keeshia Pettit
Video Production by Jonathan Liondis
