The Japanese Diet

As part of my research for (hopefully) another book, I’ve been paying a lot of attention to how different countries handle different issues.

In the process, I ended up being captivated by a 2.5 hour interview with NYT best-selling author, Johann Hari. He’s done some incredible research for his latest book, Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight Loss Drugs, and makes a compelling argument about how the quality (eg. processed) and addictive nature of the food we consume may well be what has led to so much obesity in North America.

Despite the emphasis on diets and fitness, the numbers continue to rise. And despite earnest efforts, only about 10% of people who attempt diets succeed in maintaining weight loss two years later; most regain it. This trend has fueled increased demand for drugs like Ozempic. Hari delves deeply into both the benefits and risks of such medications, highlighting their profound implications for society at large.

But the most i…