Who will win in this new era of GLP-1s, asks Jenny Burns?
The rise of GLP-1s is redefining the way many people think about food. In the past year, they’ve transformed the everyday lives of the new GLP-1 consumer.
Prescriptions of Mounjaro alone skyrocketed from 3,000 in 2024 to an estimated 200,000 in 2025, with 1.5 million people in the UK, in four percent of households, on GLP-1s last year.
The financial scale of this trend is huge: UK consumers spent £210 million on weight loss drug prescriptions in 2024.
It’s even bigger in the US: 12 percent of the population have used GLP-1s and 30-35 percent of Americans are interested in taking them. The global GLP-1 market is projected to reach $200 billion by 2031.
With the major manufacturers anticipating approval of the drug in pill form in the next year, the market is expected to become even bigger.
These stats mean opportunity.
Some food businesses have downplayed the impact of GLP-1s or seen little effects so far, but increasing evidence suggests that the impact they are having on demand and eating habits can’t be ignored.
For food producers, hospitality businesses and supermarkets who move first, the potential is there to take the market by storm.
But how?
Meet the increased awareness of good nutrition
Regardless of whether someone is on GLP-1 treatment, over the past decade there’s been an increased awareness of good nutrition. Whether it’s fitness influencers like Joe Wicks or famous chefs, healthy living remains a hot topic.
As GLP-1s reduce the brain’s reward response to fatty, sugary and salty products – with 85 percent of users less likely to have craving for these foods and many reporting that they feel ill if they eat acidic, spicy or fatty foods – expectations of what healthy looks like are changing fast.
This societal echo chamber has been reinforced by a regulatory environment that, over the past five years, has significantly tightened restrictions on HFSS marketing. Promotional rules in England now prevent HFSS products from being placed in supermarket entrances, checkouts or aisle ends, followed by restrictions on certain price promotions. More recently, advertising rules mean ads directly featuring HFSS products can’t be shown on TV during the day or online at any time.
The recent NHS 10-Year Plan also proposes mandatory sales reporting for large food businesses, measured against a set of health metrics.
As demand and regulation evolves, we’re seeing a shift from low-quality indulgence towards nutrient-dense, high-protein, portion-controlled functional foods that contain nutritional value beyond calories.
This creates a clear opportunity for retailers.
Those that move first – adapting ranges, formats and merchandising to meet consumers’ new needs – can win loyalty, retention and trust in the process.
The early signs are already there, with supermarkets including M&S, Ocado, Iceland and Asda launching GLP-1-friendly meals and ranges. This is a clear signal that brands are beginning to side with consumers in the ultra-processed food debate, responding to growing scepticism around UPFs by proactively offering alternatives that prioritise nutrition over convenience.
Yet, while demand for healthier, nutrient‑dense options is rising and early signs suggest some shifts in consumer purchasing patterns, ultra‑processed and low‑quality foods remain prevalent in the market, with healthier alternatives often being more expensive. If production of nutritious foods scales and costs come down, better nutrition could become more accessible. But that transition is still in its early stages and not yet fully reflected in broad price trends.
We’ve started to see this trend begin to emerge with multiple FMCG giants actively launching and reformulating products to lower sugar and calories across multiple markets. For example, PepsiCo has reported that sales of sugary and salty snack ranges are down and it has begun adjusting products for higher protein, higher fibre, low fat and low salt – a signal that this is more than just a niche trend.
Succeeding means shifting from promotion to education by integrating the nutritional guidance, tools and a commitment to radical transparency that help people make better choices.
The industry has already shown it can move in this direction. Products from members of the Food & Drink Federation now contain around a third less salt and sugar, and 25 percent fewer calories, than they did in 2015. GLP-1s simply accelerate the pressure food and drink brands were already facing from society and regulation for healthier, more nutrient-dense snacks.
In the long run, as consumers move beyond using medication to manage appetite, brands that actively help people make healthier choices will set the standard.
Adapt to the new norms of social meet-ups
The rise of GLP-1s isn’t just changing what people eat, but also how they socialise.
In the UK, 64 percent of users are snacking less and 74 percent are cutting back on takeaways. Across the US, nearly half are eating smaller portions and reducing calories.
For the hospitality industry, that’s a big financial hit: fewer meals out, smaller orders and less indulgence at bars, cafés and restaurants.
The implications extend beyond the balance sheet. Social rituals, dinner with friends, drinks after work and weekend brunches are all being reshaped. The numbers tell the story: 80 percent of Brits on GLP-1s now find social eating uncomfortable. 18 percent no longer enjoy wine or cocktails. Almost a third have annoyed friends by declining food that’s been prepared for them.
For hospitality businesses, this signals a structural shift in how people are transforming their eating and drinking habits in line with a changing culture around health that has been accelerated by GLP-1s.
The opportunity lies in adaptation: understanding the changing needs of GLP-1 consumers and innovating around them.
That could mean designing new types of social spaces that don’t revolve around eating and drinking, opening coffee shops as evening community hubs, or creating experiences that create human connection, build community and revitalise local high streets more generally.
By focusing on people’s evolving habits, hospitality can turn a threat into a chance to lead the next wave of social culture and prove that human connection doesn’t need to be measured in plates and pints.
This opportunity could be even more powerful if hospitality and food and drink brands work in tandem. Food producers can develop nutrient-dense, portion-controlled products designed for GLP-1 consumers, while cafés, restaurants and community hubs can integrate these offerings into their menus or retail shelves.
Imagine grab and go meals that mirror in-store innovations or café experiences that combine healthy, functional foods with social connection rather than indulgence.
By aligning product development with evolving social habits, brands across the food and drink category can turn reduced consumption into loyalty, engagement and new revenue streams – creating an ecosystem where healthier eating, socialising and community thrive side by side.
* All stats are from Magnetic’s report Upgrading Humanity: The winners and losers in the new world of weight-loss drugs.
Jenny Burns is the CEO of Magnetic
