ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

“Households with users of GLP-1 medications for weight loss are set to account for more than a third of food and beverage sales over the next five years, and stand to reshape consumer preferences and purchasing patterns.” – Grocery Dive

GLP-1 receptor agonists—such as semaglutide (Ozempic®, Wegovy®) and tirzepatide (Zepbound®, Mounjaro®)—mimic the glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone, regulating blood sugar, curbing appetite, and promoting satiety to drive significant weight loss of 10–20% body weight in responsive patients.^1,3 Initially approved for type 2 diabetes management, these drugs exploded in popularity for obesity treatment after regulatory approvals in 2021, with US adult usage surging from 5.8% in early 2024 to 12.4% by late 2025, correlating with a national obesity rate decline from 39.9% to 37%.²

Market Evolution and Accessibility Breakthroughs

High costs—exceeding $1,000 monthly out-of-pocket—limited early adoption to affluent users, but a landmark 2026 federal agreement brokered with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk slashes prices by 60–70% to $300–$400 for cash-pay patients and as low as $50 via expanded Medicare/Medicaid coverage for weight loss (previously diabetes-only).^1,4 This shift, via the TrumpRx platform launching early 2026, democratises access, enabling consistent therapy and reducing the 15–20% non-responder dropout rate through integrated lifestyle support.¹ Employer coverage rose to 44% among firms with 500+ employees in 2024, though cost pressures may temper growth; generics remain over five years away, with oral formulations in late-stage trials.³

Profound Business Impacts on Food and Beverage

Households using GLP-1s for weight loss—now 78% of prescriptions, up 41 points since 2021—over-index on food and beverage spending pre- and post-treatment, poised to represent over one-third of sector sales within five years.² While initial fears of 1,000-calorie daily cuts devastating packaged goods have eased, users prioritise protein-rich, nutrient-dense products, high-volume items, and satiating formats like soups, reshaping CPG portfolios toward health-focused innovation.² Affluent “motivated” weight-loss users contrast with larger-household disease-management cohorts from middle/lower incomes, both retaining high lifetime value for manufacturers and retailers adapting to journey-stage needs: initiation, cycling off, or maintenance.²

Scientific Foundations and Key Theorists

GLP-1 research traces to the 1980s discovery of glucagon-like peptide-1 as an incretin hormone enhancing insulin secretion post-meal. Pioneering Danish endocrinologist Jens Juul Holst elucidated its gut-derived physiology and degradation by DPP-4 enzymes, laying groundwork for stabilised analogues; his lab at the University of Copenhagen advanced semaglutide development.^1,3 Daniel Drucker, at Mount Sinai, expanded understanding of GLP-1’s broader receptor actions on appetite suppression via hypothalamic pathways, authoring seminal reviews on therapeutic potential beyond diabetes.³ Clinical validation came through Novo Nordisk’s STEP trials (led by researchers like Wadden et al.), demonstrating superior efficacy over lifestyle interventions alone, while Eli Lilly’s SURMOUNT studies confirmed tirzepatide’s dual GLP-1/GIP agonism for enhanced outcomes.^1,2,3 These insights propelled GLP-1s from niche diabetes tools to transformative obesity therapies, now expanding to cardiovascular risk, sleep apnoea, kidney disease, and investigational roles in addiction and neurodegeneration.³

Challenges persist: side effects prompt discontinuation among some older users, and optimal results demand multidisciplinary integration of pharmacology with nutrition and behaviour.^1,5 For businesses, this signals a pivotal realignment—prioritising GLP-1-aligned products to capture evolving preferences in a market where obesity treatment transitions from elite to mainstream.

References:

1
https://grandhealthpartners.com/glp-1-weight-loss-announcement/

2
https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2025/12/15/soup-to-nuts-podcast-how-will-glp-1s-reshape-food-in-2026/

3
https://www.mercer.com/en-us/insights/us-health-news/glp-1-considerations-for-2026-your-questions-answered/

4
https://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/weight-loss-drugs-price-drop/

5
https://www.foxnews.com/health/older-americans-quitting-glp-1-weight-loss-drugs-4-key-reasons

6 https://www.grocerydive.com/news/glp1s-weight-loss-food-beverage-sales-2030/806424/