Hijacked: Anorexia Nervosa in the Age of GLP-1 Medications

When her 14-year-old daughter was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, Dr. Amanda Banks, a physician and biotechnology executive, was thrust into a world few parents are prepared for — and one that is becoming terrifyingly common. Hijacked begins as one family's story of treatment and recovery, but it rapidly unfolds into an urgent public health warning. By synthesizing the evolving science, Hijacked reframes anorexia nervosa not as extreme willpower or a lifestyle choice, but as a serious biological disorder with deep genetic roots, one capable of overriding the most fundamental drive shared by every living creature: to eat when hungry. As GLP-1 weight loss drugs saturate our culture — reshaping how we think about bodies, hunger, and beauty — they are also driving a rise in anorexia nervosa by hijacking the same biological pathways that underlie the disease. With one in eight American adults now taking GLP-1 agonists and regulations struggling to keep pace, the stakes could not be higher. Grounded in science and profound human experience, this book equips families with the tools to act, demystifies the biology of a widely misunderstood, common and lethal illness, and makes the case that recovery is always possible. If we choose awareness over inaction, we can turn the rising tide of anorexia nervosa. There is a path.