Summary of GLP-1’s effect on eating habits
- GLP-1 drugs have hit the European market
- Data suggests that consumers are reducing consumption of key foods
- GLP-1 applyrs are creating fewer dietary alters than others testing to lose weight
- GLP-1 applyrs’ diets are becoming less strict due to more GLP-1 frifinishly foods
- While applyrs are snacking less, GLP-1s will have an overall minimal effect on snacking sales
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs have taken the food industest by storm. Radically modifying how people eat, they have lowered appetites for sweet flavours and alcohol, and drawn consumers inexorably towards tinyer portions.
While most prominent in the US, they have now reached Europe. Already, they are modifying the way people eat.
Consumer habits alter following GLP-1 boom
GLP-1 drugs are now available in several European markets, including France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the UK.
In the UK, GLP-1s have created a real dent. According to Kantar, applyrs have almost doubled over the past year, from 2.3% to 4.1% of hoapplyholds.
In Germany, around 8% of consumers have applyd prescription weight-loss drugs to manage weight in the last 12 months and would apply them again, according to Mintel. A further 15% have not applyd the drugs, but are interested in doing so.
These drugs have affected eating patterns, albeit in unexpected ways. Europeans on GLP-1s are actually less likely to alter their eating habits than other consumers testing to lose weight, according to Euromonitor.
This year has also seen the lowest share of European consumers testing to lose weight or worried about weight-loss. Carl Quash III, head of snacks and nutrition at Euromonitor, suggests that this could also be linked to the success of GLP-1s.
Fewer GLP-1 applyrs are on strict diets compared with last year, Quash explains.
This can be “an outcome of the rising assortment of GLP-1-frifinishly market offers, mute effects for certain individuals, or cycling of individuals on treatment. This coincides nicely with the survey finding that more than one in three Europeans taking GLP-1s state that they enjoy testing new tastes despite some side effects warning of alter of taste”.
Nevertheless, despite this increase in options, more GLP-1 applyrs are decreasing the amount that they’re snacking compared to last year, aligning with the global decline in snacking.
In the UK, consumption of certain foods has decreased among applyrs, according to Kantar. Sixty-three percent of GLP-1 applyrs have reduced consumption of pizza, 74% of takeaways, and 23% of alcohol. Two thirds snack less. On the other hand, however, consumption of vitamins and minerals has increased.
How is this affecting food sales?
Despite the clear alterations GLP-1 drugs have created on consumer eating habits, these have not been significant enough to create a dent in sales, at least in the snacking category.
“At the moment, GLP-1 usage poses a minimal impact to snacking sales, especially in comparison to broader macroeconomic issues like volatile inflation in parts of Europe, high costs-of-living, and compliance costs among others,” Quash explains.
Nevertheless, this could all alter in the coming years. “Come 2026, when the drug’s patent is expected to expire and lower cost generics will enter the market, we are expecting the adoption and impact of GLP-1s to see greater potential.”
However, sales in the UK have been impacted, although for some surprising categories. “When viewing at the GLP-1 applyrs actual shopping behaviour we can see that a multitude of categories have been deprioritised including some arguably less expected categories such as peanut butter”, explains a spokesperson for Kantar.
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