"Ozempic and the other GLP-1 medications are among the most important medical breakthroughs of our time. 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., Washington Post contributing columnist and author of Lifelines
“Aimee Donnellan provides a riveting and impeccably researched deep-dive into the murky world of drug development and casts a light on the little-known characters who have dedicated their lives to rewriting the rules of science. Off the Scales also chronicles the decades-long clash of titans between the bulging fast food industry and the powerful weight loss industry—and introduces us to the almost-too-good-to-be-true drug that may well end it all. 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, journalist and author of Women, Money, Power