How Ozempic is reshaping the American diet… Daily Mail graphs show how weight-loss drugs are changing what people buy at the grocery store
Blockbuster weight-loss drugs like Ozempic are drastically changing what Americans are putting in their shopping carts, a new study reveals.
Researchers at Cornell University estimate that the market size for GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro surpassed $50billion worldwide last year and could double by the end of the decade.
Taken by one in eight American adults, or 30 million people, the drugs have changed the landscape of weight loss, diet and diabetes care. In turn, they have caused shifts in how Americans consume food and buy groceries.
The Cornell team sought to understand this impact by combing through figures from research firm Numerator that represented 150,000 US households.
Throughout a two-year period, researchers tracked household purchases at grocery stores, convenience stores, fast food restaurants and food delivery apps to look at spending habits and dietary changes.
Numerator also surveyed households on if they had heard of GLP-1s and were actively using them or had considered using them.
They found from October 2023 to July 2024, GLP-1 usage grew by 34 percent, with households making at least $80,000 per year being more likely to use them for weight loss rather than diabetes, their originally intended purpose.
And beginning in the summer of 2023, more households started taking the drugs for weight loss rather than diabetes, with the gap between weight loss and diabetes treatment widening over time.
A new study has analyzed how shopping habits have changed among Americans taking weight loss drugs (stock image)
Households with at least one person on GLP-1s also spent about five percent less on groceries and bought five percent fewer items six months after starting the drugs.
And what they were putting in their carts also shifted. After starting a GLP-1, which suppresses appetite and leads to decreased food intake, participants on average spent less on chips, baked goods and cheese and more on yogurt and fruit.
GLP-1 users also spent about eight percent less at fast food chains and coffee shops.
Overall, the study showed GLP-1 use increased from 11.5 percent of households in October 2023 to 16 percent in July 2024, a 34 percent surge.
Within six months of starting a GLP-1 medication, households started spending 11 percent less on chips and similar savory snacks and nine percent less on bakery treats.
Cheese followed closely behind with a seven percent decrease in spending, and sides, salad dressings and oils, baking ingredients, meat and egg purchases all declined by six percent in the first six months.
After seven to 12 months, chips remained the food that decreased the most at 8.6 percent, while egg and fresh vegetable purchases had the second largest decrease of eight percent.
Ozempic and other GLP-1s have been shown to dampen the brain’s reward centers that normally make junk foods like chips and sweets addictive, which may lower cravings for these foods.
Even water purchases declined by 0.5 percent. GLP-1s slow stomach emptying, which may decrease thirst signals and cause users to drink less water. At seven to 12 months, water purchases decreased even more by 2.8 percent.
The findings come as about one in eight US adults, or 30 million, have taken at GLP-1 like Ozempic at least once (stock image)
The only food categories that saw increased spending after six months were nutrition bars, fresh fruit, meat snacks and yogurt.
Yogurt purchases increased by 3.5 percent in GLP-1 users, while meat snack purchases and fresh fruit went up 1.5 and 1.4 percent, respectively. GLP-1 users also bought nutrition bars 0.3 percent more often.
After seven to 12 months, yogurt and meat snacks were still the purchases that increased the most at 3.6 and 2.6 percent, respectively. Fresh fruit purchases went up two percent, but nutrition bar purchases started to decline by 1.2 percent.
Greek yogurt in particular is high in protein and fiber, which increase satiety, or feelings of fullness. Protein also prevents muscle loss often seen with GLP-1s, while fiber can combat constipation, a common side effect.
Meat sticks also contain upwards of 12 grams of protein each, a significant chunk of the roughly 50 grams of recommended intake, while fruit and nutrition bars are low in calories.
Aisling McCarthy lost 80lbs on Ozempic. She is pictured here after dropping the weight
In people making $80,000 per year or less, diabetes control was the most common reason for taking a GLP-1. But among Americans making upwards of $80,000, weight loss was their primary motivation. In fact, households making over $200,000 per year were twice as likely to use a GLP-1 for weight loss instead of diabetes control.
People under 54 were also more likely to use GLP-1s for weight loss instead of diabetes, while those over 55 had a greater chance of taking them for diabetes.
Authors of the new study, published earlier this month in the Journal of Marketing Research, wrote: ‘These findings highlight the potential for GLP-1 medications to significantly change consumer food demand, a trend with increasingly important implications for the food industry as GLP-1 adoption continues to grow.’
There are, however, several limitations to the study, mainly including the focus on food purchases rather than food consumption. The team also looked at household spending instead of individual habits, so they noted there is room to compare data between specific household members.
Data was also only collected for the first 12 months since starting a GLP-1, so the researchers noted that longer-term studies are needed. Studies suggest at least half of users quit the drugs after one year.
