Off the Scales

The Inside Story of Ozempic and the Race to Cure Obesity

By: Aimee Donnellan

Narrated by: Yael Rizowy

The inside story of the race to develop Ozempic – the world’s first truly effective and safe obesity drug – and its potentially revolutionary effects on public health, and our deeper culture and values.

'A FASCINATING DEEP DIVE' Guardian

'VERY ENGAGING' New Scientist

'ENLIGHTENING' Publishers Weekly

A ‘cure’ for obesity has long evaded the pharmaceutical industry, until the development of Ozempic: a diabetes medication that targets the GLP-1 hormone and makes people feel fuller for longer.

After decades of research, Ozempic’s creator Novo Nordisk quickly became one of the most valuable companies in Europe. Now it struggles to keep up with its rivals in an explosive and lucrative market for weight-loss injections. The treatment is so effective that it’s already disrupted industries from healthcare to fast food to fashion. Financial investment has skyrocketed and public demand continues to soar alongside celebrity endorsements. Beyond million-dollar profits, countless lives could now be saved from preventable diseases, but one question remains: are these drugs too good to be true?

Through original reporting and rigorous research, Aimee Donnellan uncovers the complicated history of a medical breakthrough that is changing the world, while raising difficult questions about inequality, morality, our beauty ideals and the pursuit of thinness. Along the way, Donnellan profiles the female scientist whose contributions to the discovery of GLP-1 were overlooked and some of the earliest Ozempic users share powerful testimonies.

Off the Scales is a revelatory, gripping and urgent study of the unexpected consequences of finally getting what we’ve wanted for so long.

'A lively tale of the stunning rise of Ozempic. This detailed, eye-opening account is bolstered by an insider look at commercial drug development' Irish Times

'The definitive account of a singular global force – essential reading to help us understand what has been unleashed and what may be coming next' Andy Slavitt, author of Preventable

'[A] Meticulously reported account … and it is done very well — briskly and brightly … Donnellan has performed a public service by taking down the first draft of history: by speaking to the main players and untangling the rivalries and disputes' The Times

'A riveting read … Donnellan captures the drama behind the science … and explores the wider implications for society, health and business in this deeply researched book' John Collingridge, Guardian business editor

©2025 Aimee Donnellan (P)2025 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

'One of the great strengths of Reuters journalist Aimee Donnellan’s first book is its insistence on framing the discovery of the new weight-loss drugs within the fraught social and cultural context of beauty norms, body image and health … Commendably, Donnellan is careful not to treat the GLP-1 drugs an unalloyed good' Rachel Clarke, Guardian

'It is a business commentary on one of the biggest blockbuster drug battlegrounds of all time, with facts and figures on the obesity crisis; it roams across the body positivity movement … and the tactics of food companies; it features anonymised magazine-style case studies of people who recount the shame and misery of being fat and how weight-loss jabs have changed their lives … it tries to disentangle exactly who deserves scientific credit for research underpinning the jabs' Anjana Ahuja, Financial Times

'A riveting and impeccably researched deep-dive into the murky world of drug development' Josie Cox, author of Women Money Power

'Off the Scales captures the many facets of this fast-moving story … 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 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