Hameed's 'pioneering' diet book goes to PMJ in 10-way auction

Penguin Michael Joseph has won The Full Diet by Imperial College and NHS weight-loss expert Dr Saira Hameed following a 10-way bidding war. 

Publisher Fenella Bates bought British Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Will Francis at Janklow & Nesbit after an auction between 10 publishers. Rights have also been sold in China (Cheers), Italy (Vallardi), Romania (BookZone) and Spain (Paidos). The Full Diet will be published on 31st March 2022, £14.99 in trade paperback and e-book.  

Hameed is a consultant endocrinologist, with a sub-speciality in obesity medicine at Imperial College London, where she has designed, developed and trialled the Imperial-SatPro Weight Management Programme, on which the book is based.

“The Full Diet is a pioneering weight-loss programme based on cutting-edge science that is clinically proven to be as effective as gastric band surgery,” PMJ said. “As well as helping patients lose weight and keep it off, many have also reversed their diabetes, reduced blood pressure to normal, and improved many other aspects of their health and wellbeing."

Bates said: “The Full Diet is smart non-fiction at its best. Dr Saira Hameed is one of the UK’s leading experts in weight loss, and has led the country’s most effective NHS programme at Imperial for many years – delivering long-term results for patients as effective as gastric band surgery. The diet industry has sold us misleading and sometimes downright dangerous myths for decades and that misinformation requires a lot of dismantling. Saira’s book is incredibly effective in distilling the latest science of how we can achieve lasting weight loss in a really accessible and actionable way, and I’m really excited about hopefully turning Saira’s book into a big bestseller in March. 

Hameed revealed she was "thrilled" with the deal. "The ideas in this book have already helped so many people in my NHS clinic to lose weight, reinvigorate their health and feel good," she said. "I am excited that even more people are now set to benefit from this life-changing programme.”