Consumers taking GLP-1 drugs to lose weight will buy less food and drink within the first three months on the medication, radical new research into the effects of the drugs on consumers' eating and purchasing habits claims.
By the end of their first year on the drugs, however, purchasing habits tend to revert to levels close to “normal”, Circana’s GLP-1s Report cites.
Spend on groceries can reduce by 6% overall, though purchases of produce, meat, snacks, protein bars and yogurts increase, the recent “No-Hunger Games: How GLP-1 Medication Adoption is Changing Consumer Food Purchases” research claims.
“A deeper understanding of GLP-1 medications and their roles in weight loss has unlocked new opportunities to enhance the food, beverage, and non-food products that support consumers’ overall well-being,” Circana global executive vice president and chief advisor Sally Lyons Wyatt says.
Do GLP-1 consumers eat less?
When taking weight loss drugs like Ozempic, consumers shift their food spending across the board. Within supermarkets, they spend more on foods believed to support the “GLP-1 balance”. This includes vegetables, eggs and nuts.
How can manufacturers tap into the GLP-1 craze?
- R&D departments should begin formulating, reformulating, fortifying and developing products that tap into the dietary needs of GLP-1 consumers
- Consumers require more protein, fibre, vegetables, eggs and nuts
- Consumers will need to be educated on what they should and shouldn't eat while on GLP-1 medications. Highlighting which products and ingredients are compatable with users' diets could help drive purcahse
- Meal plans personalised to individual consumers would simplify their lives and offer manufacturers and retailers potential new revenue streams
- Consumers must be able to easily spot and purcahse GLP-1-friendly food and drink in store or online, which must also be affordable
*Circana GLP-1 Report
They also stick to guidance and buy fewer foods containing spicy flavours, fatty proteins and drinks with added sugar.
When eating out, GLP-1 users within their first year favour quick service restaurants, but those mainly within the grocery space, as well as casual dining chains, according to Circana’s research.
“These evolving behaviours reveal a clear connection between category growth and the health-driven preferences of these consumers, offering brands fresh opportunities to align with their goals,” explains Lyons Wyatt.
It will become vital for all food and drink companies, as GLP-1 medications become more affordable and accessible, to develop strategies that “support consumers on their health journey”.
Consumers need the expertise of the food and drink sector to help them get the most out of their GLP-1 medications, such as guidance and visibility of what products are best to consume, as well as that of medical professionals.
What do GLP-1 consumers eat?
Dieticians encourage consumers taking GLP-1s to prioritise protein-rich foods to help maintain muscle mass, add fibre to their diets and to ensure they drink enough water, as “both hunger and thirst are suppressed with these drugs”.
Manufacturers like Conagra Brands has already launched a series of food labels for products it advises are compatible with GLP-1 drugs. While Conagra Brands hasn’t changed its recipes, evidence suggests the medications can alter the taste of food and drink, which manufacturers may need to consider.
Read more:
- GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic set to shake the global food industry
- Ozempic, nutri-score and junk food bans would ‘halve obesity’
- Are GLP-1 drugs driving the fortification trend?
- Can GLP-1 drugs curb alcohol consumption?
While the pharmaceutical and food and drink sectors are gearing up for additional focus on GLP-1 medications, some professionals have warned of a rise in illicit GLP-1 drugs entering the market.
Not only is this a danger to public health, but negative associations around the medications could put people off taking them and damage manufacturers' investments in catering to the new customer base, some experts have warned.
“Like all illegally obtained medication, unregulated, black-market drugs often bypass rigorous testing required to ensure their safety and efficacy or may contain harmful, undisclosed ingredients, making them unreliable and potentially hazardous,” warns lead pharmacist and Oushk Pharmacy co-founder Hira Malik.
A poll of 2,000 consumers by the same pharmacy revealed more men (42.5%) than women claimed to understand how weight loss injections work.
Over half of men also believed weight loss injections were the best option to lose weight and considered them a “miracle cure” for obesity.
Source: The No-Hunger Games: How GLP-1 Medication Adoption is Changing Consumer Food Purchases
Published online: 27 December 2024
DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.5073929
Authors: Sylvia Hristakeva, Jura Liaukonyte, Leo Feler