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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Off the Scales summary
Aimee Donnellan
The Inside Story of Ozempic and the Race to Cure Obesity
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Off the Scales by Aimee Donnellan delves into the complexities of modern health metrics, critically examining how society measures health and well-being, and offering a thought-provoking perspective on finding balance in health assessments.
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Off the Scales
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Key idea 1 of 6
The double burden
According to the World Health Organization, between 1976 and 2006 the proportion of obese adults in the US population rose exponentially, to around thirty percent and rising. This number counts only those whose Body Mass Index, or BMI, is above 30. It does not include adults who are just overweight, or whose BMI is between 25 and 30. In 2023 the Centers for Disease Control in the US estimated the number of overweight or obese adults nationally totalled more than 70 percent.
The trend reveals a lot about changes to society since the 1980s, the decade when the steepest climb in obesity rates began. But it also hides behind charts and numbers the real costs of increasing waistlines on individuals and communities.
For instance, many obese individuals dread going to the doctor. Every health complaint, pain, or symptom they bring to their appointment is met with the same response: just lose weight. Obesity has been seen as a failure of willpower and self-control for decades, and the cause has always been assumed to be a flaw in character, not genetics or biochemistry.
The result? Increasing numbers of overweight or obese people avoided doctors, who peddled the same tired advice decade after decade: eat less, exercise more, you’ll lose weight. Patients who tried found themselves on a diet roller coaster that often saw them gaining more in the end. Others turned to surgeries, radical programs or intensive interventions that had serious consequences for their health.
Meanwhile, the public belief that excess weight comes only from gluttony means patients who fail to lose weight face a life full of judgement from even the most well-meaning people in their lives. Like a cloak of shame, the excess weight is more than just a physical burden weakening joints and straining organ systems. It is the weight of harsh judgement.
No wonder so many carrying extra weight turn to larger potions or sweet treats for comfort, perpetuating an escalating, vicious cycle.
And adults are not the only ones carrying the load. Children’s weight has seen a similar rise in recent decades. Rates of overweight and obese children had tripled, to around thirty percent, when First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off the Let’s Move initiative in 2010. The goal was to cure the obesity epidemic in a generation.
But even the Obamas understood there was no quick fix, and the program didn’t slow the growing crisis. Likely because there was an entire commercial food system keeping the weight gain rolling.
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What is Off the Scales about?
Off the Scales (2026) explores the decades-long global race to create a long-lasting version of the GLP-1 drug semaglutide to help fight the growing diabetes and obesity epidemics. Presenting all sides of the story, from the fraught scientific competition to be the first to bring these drugs to market, to the side effects rippling through global societies, it uncovers.
Who should read Off the Scales?
- People who are interested in the medical breakthroughs changing society
- Curious minds seeking the inside story on the science behind the headlines
- Anyone who has struggled with weight, Type 2 diabetes, or is considering treatment with a semaglutide medication
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