Friday, April 18, 2025
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Article provided by The University of Arkansas.
As a large proportion of people taking medications like Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy
for weight loss report consuming less processed foods and soda, researchers say food
and beverage companies are adjusting strategies.
The results of a recent national study conducted by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment
Station found that these weight loss drugs — known as Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists
or GLP-1s — lead to new food and drink consumption patterns, which underscore observed
changes in food and beverage marketing.
“We’ve already seen a shift in how food companies market their products,” said Brandon
McFadden, professor and Tyson Endowed Chair in food policy economics in the Dale Bumpers
College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas. “For
packaged food companies, stock prices were going down while the stock prices for pharmaceutical
companies that make these medications were going up.”
Andrew Dilley, a Bumpers College graduate student in the agricultural economics and
agribusiness department, was the lead author of the study, with McFadden as his adviser.
Co-authors included Saroj Adhikari and Pratikshya Silwal, agricultural economics and
agribusiness department post-doctoral researchers, and Jayson Lusk, professor, vice president and dean of Oklahoma State University’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
“Our study shows that adoption of GLP-1 agonists changes both the amount and types
of food people eat,” Lusk said. “These results have important implications for the
food industry. If adoption of GLP-1s continues to increase, food companies will be
challenged as demand for processed foods falls but will have opportunities as demand
for fruits and vegetables increases.”
Lusk also leads the Ferguson College of Agriculture and two state agencies: OSU Extension and OSU Ag Research.
An example of the shift, McFadden said: not long after presenting data on his research
to an international audience, a major packaged food manufacturer came out with a “meal
in one” bar marketed to GLP-1 users. Smoothie King had already seen the writing on
the wall, too, and created a menu section dedicated to “GLP-1 Support.”
While previous consumer behavior studies have shown GLP-1s caused lower preference
for high-fat foods and promoted weight loss, there has been limited information on
how it influenced food preferences and consumption behavior across different food
categories, McFadden said of a study he and collaborators recently published.
For the study, they surveyed current, previous and potential consumers of GLP-1s to
better understand how taking these medications affects food choices. The study also
included people who did not plan to take a GLP-1.
What are GLP-1s?
Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in helping lose weight,
GLP-1s saw a 300% increase in use between 2020 and 2022. GLP-1s were developed for
blood sugar regulation in diabetes patients and curb appetite by mimicking the natural
GLP-1 hormone found in the lower intestine, simulating insulin release from the pancreas
in response to eating or drinking. The result is significant weight loss. Randomized-controlled
trials have shown that GLP-1s reduce body weight by 15% or more.
Tens of thousands of new users were estimated to have started using GLP-1s every week
in 2024, and it is estimated that at least half of the people in the U.S. would qualify
for a prescription, according to the study from the experiment station, the research
arm of the U of A System Division of Agriculture.
Around 42% of the U.S. population is estimated to be obese, and another 31% are overweight,
the study noted. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a body mass index of 30 or higher indicates obesity, and a body mass index of 25
to 29.9 is considered overweight.
GLP-1s are approved for weight loss in adults who have a body mass index of 30 or
higher, and those who are overweight with a body mass index of 27 or higher with at
least one weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol
and type 2 diabetes.
The current market for GLP-1s approved by the FDA for weight management includes Saxenda,
Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound and Monjaro.
Consumed less, yet still desired
The study found that current and previous users of GLP-1s reported reduced consumption
of most foods and beverages. The proportion of respondents reporting less consumption
of processed foods was about 70% more than of those who reported consuming more. Similarly,
there were about 50% more respondents who reported consuming less soda, refined grains
and beef than those who reported consuming more of those foods. There were also reductions
in the consumption of starchy vegetables, pork, alcohol, fruit juice and dairy milk.
Chicken, coffee, fish and seafood, nuts, eggs, plant-based meat, whole grains and
plant-based milk also saw a relatively smaller dip in consumption, ranging from 10%
to 25% of respondents reporting decreases in consumption compared to increases.
Despite the declines, GLP-1 users reported a continued desire to consume processed
foods, sodas, refined grains and beef.
Only fruits, leafy greens and water showed an overall increase in consumption.
“These results highlight how a GLP-1 might increase consumption of options like fruit
and water, even though those taking a GLP-1 desire them less than others,” the study
noted.
The study included a survey with 1,955 useable observations including 495 people who
were currently taking a GLP-1, 468 who had previously taken one, 492 people who were
planning to take one and 500 people who were neither taking one nor planning to take
one.
McFadden said the results of the study could help guide the development of targeted
communication strategies, enhance product positioning and help design complementary
lifestyle recommendations for patients using GLP-1 treatments. A follow-up study is
being conducted to gauge side effects reported by those taking GLP-1s.
The journal Food Quality and Preference published the study in March under the title “Characteristics and food consumption for current, previous, and potential consumers
of GPL-1s.”
Mention of product names does not imply endorsement by the U of A System Division
of Agriculture. The study was supported in part by the Tyson Endowed Chair in Food
Policy Economics.
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