Reshaping Food Business Strategies in the Weight Loss Drug Era
Key Questions and Opportunities
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June 24, 2025
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As the adoption of GLP-1 drugs accelerates and with pill versions on the horizon, a notable shift in consumer behavior continues to unfold and is expected to accelerate – a shift that businesses in the food retail and food service sectors must prepare for. These medications are not just the new diet fad; they signify a remarkable change in dietary choices that could set the course for behavior within these industries for years to come. Companies that proactively adapt their product portfolios and communication strategies will be poised to thrive in this new landscape. Those that do not take proactive action are at risk.
In this article, we explain why GLP-1 drugs are here to stay, how companies can evolve alongside this medical intervention, and the critical role of strategic communications in navigating this transformation.
Imagine walking through a grocery store and noticing many of the unhealthy snack options and ultra-processed foods have been removed from the shelves, replaced instead by vibrant displays of fresh produce, protein, and nutrient-rich alternatives. The potential for this scenario to become the norm is more likely than you think. GLP-1 drugs’ growing popularity is driving millions of Americans to make different food choices.1
In the past few years, the introduction and rapid adoption of GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, have sparked a notable shift in consumer eating habits. Most recently, pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly announced promising clinical results for their oral GLP-1 pill trial.2 While GLP-1 medications were originally intended for diabetes treatment, they have surged in popularity for weight loss.3 Early estimates indicate that at least 15 million Americans – roughly 6% of the U.S. population4 – are using GLP-1 drugs, with experts projecting this figure could reach 24-30 million Americans in the next 5 or 10 years.5 Notably, new market research by FTI Consulting found that younger cohorts (ages 30-44) are the highest current adopters of GLP-1 medications, and that individuals in higher income brackets are leading the charge in GLP-1 adoption.6 This shift not only targets obesity management, but also impacts spending and consumption patterns at a foundational level.
Businesses that are best equipped to respond to this change recognize they are witnessing just the tip of the iceberg. The implications of GLP-1 drugs extend well beyond the pharmacy: they are reshaping the food retail and food service industries, altering consumer preferences, and redefining consumption in today’s market.
The Shift in Consumer Behavior – A New Era of Eating
The science is clear: GLP-1 drugs curb appetite and cravings, leading users to consume around 20-30% fewer calories daily.7 The result is a decline in the purchase and intake of high-calorie, high-sugar, and high-fat foods.8
- Decreased demand for ultra-processed foods: GLP-1 households are spending less in grocery stores overall,9 and processed foods are being hit the hardest. For instance, monthly spending on chips, savory snacks, and sweet bakery items has seen reductions averaging between -11% to -9%.10
- Constructing smaller, healthier, shopping baskets: While the demand for processed foods wanes, a very small spending increase is observed for nutrient-dense foods such as yogurt, fresh produce, and nutrition bars.11 This small yet directionally positive change within the ‘better-for-you’ category reveals a profound behavioral shift.12 GLP-1 users are fundamentally altering their eating habits by cutting back on unhealthy food purchases instead of adding more healthy items.13
The Heavy Questions for Food CPG Companies and Retailers
Amidst this backdrop, food manufacturers and retailers find themselves at a pivotal fork in the road, prompting them to reevaluate their current product offerings and consider a series of critical questions that challenge their existing approaches to marketing, consumer engagement, and overall corporate responsibility:
- Are we effectively meeting the changing needs of consumers?
- How should we adapt our product lines and messaging to align with health trends?
- Does our brand strategy resonate with today’s health-focused consumers?
- Would consumers seek our products out on the shelf while they are changing their lifestyle?
- Are we agile enough to thrive in this dynamic environment?
- How can we align our corporate identity and values more closely with the growing health movement?
As companies confront these tough questions, one thing becomes increasingly clear: The need to rise to the challenge with a willingness to adapt, innovate, and redefine their roles in a health-centric economy.
When Life Gives You Lemons…Harness the Opportunities
The swift adoption of GLP-1 drugs by consumers demands agility and proactivity from businesses to shift strategically and decisively. To enhance competitive edge, business should consider tapping into external expertise in vital areas such as strategy consulting and business transformation and communications for support:
- Portfolio Assessments: Evaluating product portfolios to identify growth drivers and areas ripe for reinvention; assessing short-term and long-term adjustments to align with changing consumer demands.
- Comprehensive Communications Strategies: Developing and deploying communications plans that resonate with this new consumer mindset, ensuring your messaging aligns with corporate goals and builds transparency, consistency, credibility and trust with all stakeholder groups.
- Proactive Innovation Support: Guiding businesses as they make changes to their product offerings via innovations, renovations, strategic partnerships, potential mergers and acquisitions to stay relevant and appeal to health-conscious consumers.
The rise of GLP-1 drugs is more than a fad. It represents a pivotal inflection point for consumer behavior and business strategy alike. Companies that recognize the long-term implications of GLP-1 adoption and are appropriately and timely adjusting their business and communications strategies, will position themselves for success in a marketplace increasingly defined by health and wellness-driven consumer choices. The businesses that can effectively navigate the complexities of this evolving landscape will not only feed the needs of today’s consumers, but also cement their status as industry leaders in tomorrow’s health-centric economy.
The time for decisive action is now.
Footnotes
1: Sylvia Hristakeva, Jura Liaukonyte, and Leo Feler, “The No-Hunger Games: How GLP-1 Medication Adoption is Changing Consumer Food Demand,” Cornell University SC Johnson College of Business (December 27, 2024).
2: “Lilly’s oral GLP-1, orforglipron, demonstrated statistically significant efficacy results and a safety profile consistent with injectable GLP-1 medicines in successful Phase 3 trial.” Eli Lilly and Company (April 17, 2025).
3: Alex Montero, Grace Sparks, Marley Presiado, and Liz Hamel, “KFF Health Tracking Poll May 2024: The Public’s Use and Views of GLP-1 Drugs.” KFF (May 10, 2024), KFF Health Tracking Poll May 2024: The Public’s Use and Views of GLP-1 Drugs.
4: Ibid.
5: The “24-30 million Americans” figure represents a ‘consensus’ view across the following analysts: (1) “Could Obesity Drugs Take a Bite Out of the Food Industry?,” Morgan Stanley (September 5, 2023); (2) “The increase in appetite for obesity drugs,” JP Morgan (November 29, 2023); and (3) “GLP-1: A medication worth $126 billion in sales by 2029?,” UBS (last accessed May 30, 2025).
6: Findings based on an FTI Consulting survey testing perceptions of the Make America Healthy Again movement that was conducted from April 22 - May 5, 2025. Data weighted to represent 1,600 nationally representative U.S. voters.
7: The “24-30 million Americans” figure represents a ‘consensus’ view across the following analysts: (1) “Could Obesity Drugs Take a Bite Out of the Food Industry?,” Morgan Stanley (September 5, 2023).
8: See supra note 1.
9: Ibid.
10: Ibid.
11: Ibid.
12: Ibid.
13: Ibid.
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Published
June 24, 2025
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