Weight-loss medications have exploded in popularity, and they are shaking the foundations of Big Food. As people eat less junk food, major packaged-food companies are seeing the impact on sales and pivoting in an attempt to maintain consumer appetites.[1,2]

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists were first approved in the United States in 2005 for the treatment of diabetes and in 2014 for weight loss.[3] Their cultural footprint expanded dramatically after semaglutide received approval for weight management in 2021.[3,4] Today, whether scrolling social media or chatting with friends, patients, or colleagues, it’s impossible not to notice the sweeping influence of Wegovy, Ozempic, and similar medications. According to a recent report, 5% of adults in the US are taking GLP-1 agonists, and 12% have tried them—and usage may increase tenfold in the coming decade.[5] Estimates suggest that more than 1.4 million Canadians are now using GLP‑1 receptor agonists.[2]

Snack-food, confectionery, and soft-drink sales may be hit hardest because they depend heavily on frequency and impulse, which can be affected by medication-induced appetite suppression.[6]

Food companies are already responding. During PepsiCo’s 2025 Q1 earnings call, the CEO highlighted the company’s “fiber and hydration solutions” when asked about the launch of oral GLP-1 medications. He acknowledged the shift in consumer habits: “The other thing we’re seeing in GLP consumers is that they’re keeping our brands in their repertoire. . . . They’re eating less quantities, so our offerings in the small portions—whether it’s multipack or some other options . . . will make sure that our brands stay relevant to those consumers.”[5,7]

PepsiCo is hardly alone. Many corporations are trying to transform GLP-1-induced challenges into lucrative opportunities. Nestlé has launched Vital Pursuit, a new line of foods marketed specifically as “companions” for GLP-1 weight-loss medication users.[8] Conagra Brands is tagging select items with an “On Track” badge to signal that they are “GLP-1-friendly.” Meanwhile, companies like Coca-Cola and General Mills have already begun tweaking existing offerings to appeal to consumers with smaller appetites. Food innovation firm Mattson has reportedly explored numerous new concepts like brownie cubes and frozen “hydropops” designed for GLP-1 users.[9]

As Tomas Weber wrote in his New York Times Magazine piece “Ozempic could crush the junk food industry. But it is fighting back,” “There is little the industry hasn’t tried to keep health-conscious consumers eating.”[10] The food industry has always rebranded to keep pace with diet fads, introducing fat-free cookies, diet frozen entrees, and plant-based fast foods. “For decades, Big Food has been marketing products to people who can’t stop eating,” he writes. “And now, suddenly, they can.”[10]

This raises uncomfortable questions. Will Big Food find ways to make ultra-processed foods even more irresistible? Over the years, salt has become saltier, crunch more exaggerated, and aromas more engineered and provocative.[10] If companies intensify these tactics, could that blunt the effectiveness of GLP-1 medications by working around satiety cues? And what about those not using weight-loss drugs? They may soon face an even more bewildering landscape of “better-for-you” products that are still ultra-processed. The stakes are particularly high for youth, who already obtain more than 60% of their total energy intake from ultra-processed foods.[11] Youth are also especially vulnerable to marketing and health-washed branding.

What are your thoughts on GLP-1-optimized products? It seems to me that while GLP-1 medications may be shrinking waistlines, Big Food is working hard to ensure its bottom line doesn’t follow suit.
—Caitlin Dunne, MD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License [11].

References

1.    Blake S. Ozempic is costing grocery stores billions. Newsweek. 16 July 2025. Accessed 11 December 2025. www.newsweek.com/ozempic-costing-grocery-stores-billions-2099920 [12].

2.    Gonzales F. GLP-1 drugs take a bite out of fast-food returns. Benefits and Pensions Monitor. 2 December 2025. Accessed 11 December 2025. www.benefitsandpensionsmonitor.com/news/industry-news/glp-1-drugs-take-a-bite-out-of-fast-food-returns/392827 [13].

3.    Lee JM, Sharifi M, Oshman L, et al. Dispensing of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists to adolescents and young adults, 2020-2023. JAMA 2024;331:2041-2043. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2024.7112 [14].

4.    Government of Canada. Regulatory decision summary for Wegovy. Modified 17 December 2025. Accessed 18 December 2025. https://dhpp.hpfb-dgpsa.ca/review-documents/resource/RDS1689349413724 [15].

5.    Best D. GLP-1 “structural disruption” to food, drinks – study. Yahoo! Finance. 20 November 2025. Accessed 11 December 2025. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/glp-1-structural-disruption-food-090000756.html [16].

6.    Southey F. How food brands can stay ahead of GLP-1 craze. Food Navigator. Updated 22 July 2025. Accessed 11 December 2025. www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2025/07/22/glp-1-drugs-what-food-brands-need-to-know/ [17].

7.    Redman R. PepsiCo to accelerate phaseout of artificial ingredients. Food Business News. 28 April 2025. Accessed 11 December 2025. www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/28167-pepsico-to-accelerate-phaseout-of-artificial-ingredients [18].

8.    Nestlé. Nestlé introduces Vital Pursuit brand to support GLP-1 users in the US. 21 May 2024. Accessed 11 December 2025. www.nestle.com/media/news/vital-pursuit-brand-glp-1-weight-support [19].

9.    Watson E. Mattson probes Ozempic effect on food innovation, from mini-bites and hydrating pops to lighter protein drinks. AgFunderNews. 6 May 2024. Accessed 11 December 2025. https://agfundernews.com/mattson-probes-ozempic-effect-on-food-innovation-from-mini-bites-and-hydrating-pops-to-lighter-protein-drinks [20].

10.    Weber T. Ozempic could crush the junk food industry. But it is fighting back. New York Times Magazine. 10 January 2025. Accessed 11 December 2025. www.nytimes.com/2024/11/19/magazine/ozempic-junk-food.html [21].

11.    Williams AM, Couch CA, Emmerich SD, Ogburn DF. Ultra-processed food consumption in youth and adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NCHS Data Brief No. 536, August 2025. Accessed 11 December 2025. www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db536.htm [22].