From Los Angeles to London, weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic are reshaping culture as much as waistlines(腰围). Some Ozempic-takers have little appetites and dine at unusual hours. Others have lost their taste for alcohol. Many have given up on the gym, either because they are tired or because the drugs keep them slim. MyOzempicJourney posts have racked up millions of views on TikTok, as people share how they are adjusting to their new lifestyles.
These drugs have also slimmed people's demand for diet books. Since June 2021, when Wegovy, the first blockbuster slimming jab (注射), was approved by America's Food and Drug Administration, sales of"health and fitness" print books in America have fallen by 15%, according to Circana, a research firm. (Sales of print books overall fell by 4%.) The category shifted fewer than 10m hard copies in the years ending June 2023 and June 2024, the lowest in a decade. Diet, exercise and weight-loss titles are among the worst sellers.
Publishers are trying to fight back by expanding beyond books that promise fast results from calorie-counting and new dieting fads (时尚); they are focusing more on living longer and keeping energetic. Sales of books about longevity rose by 50% in the past year, according to Circana. Newly published diet books tell readers to forget fads and make simple lifestyle changes. By promising low effort and high reward, they offer an easy, cheap alternative to drugs.
In time the drugs may even attract new readers. Books are being written for those with tiny appetites:
"The Mayo Clinic Diet", first published in 1949, has released a"weight-loss medications edition". Some publishers predict greater demand for titles about diabetes and blood sugar, as people try to learn more about the science behind the drugs.
But as even cheaper and more convenient weight-loss drugs emerge and spread, publishers will probably need to change strategies. Nobody in publishing is entirely sure what the next chapter will bring.
