At first, former Fentimans Marketing Director, Jayne Andrews, thought GLP-1 weight-loss drugs might be a fad. Now it’s clear they could reshape consumer behaviour across entire industries.

Over the last couple of months, I have been working with a Bread ingredient manufacturer – who having seen the impact of GLP1 on bread consumption, has worked to develop a new bread concentrate with GLP1 friendly ingredients. Their aim – to help manufacturers who now need to target consumers with smaller appetites, or those that fear putting back on the weight once they come off their weight loss drugs.

I’ve needed to research the broader impact of the weight loss jabs and am now fascinated by what I see as a much bigger knock-on, when initially I saw the drugs as potentially just a fad.

They are not a fad.

Most people I assume have heard about GLP but in summary - Glucagon-like peptide-1, known as GLP-1, was discovered in the mid-1980s as a hormone that stimulates insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent manner. By 2005, its use as a diabetes therapy was beginning to be approved, and an unexpected ‘benefit’ of the drug was noted - appetite suppression and weight loss.

Wind forward to now, and just over 4% of UK adults are current users for GLP1 for weight loss (Kantar GLP1 Trends and Impact Survey, Jan 2025). Usage has more than doubled in just one year. With 95% of UK users buying privately, this data is likely to be under-reported. Usage in the U.S sits at about 12% (KFF Health Tracking Poll).

The obvious impacts.

The impact on the food and drink industry is well documented. Retailers such as M&S, Morrisons, Asda and Coop have already responded with GLP friendly product lines. With caution on the claims they can state on packaging, M&S for example, talks to ‘Nutrient Dense’ to appeal to those with a reduced appetite, who may be missing out on nutrients. Morrisons have gone for ‘Small & Balanced’ in response to their customers seeking high protein, functional foods and Coop have been quoted as saying ‘There is also a growing need to cater for smaller appetites.’ Greggs response has been to make sure they have got snack products for those on the GLP1 drugs – including seeing increased sales in egg pots!

The already hard-hit alcohol industry also has its eyes open. A Morgan Stanley study cited a potential 75% reduction in alcohol consumption by those taking GLP1 drugs – fewer drinking occasions, and fewer drinks per session.

Grocery spend overall drops when a household has a GLP-1 user. An Eli Lily report has said that because wealthier consumers are more likely to buy privately, premium stores like M&S and Waitrose were the ones impacted first.

Growth of usage will continue

U.S usage is about 2-3 years ahead of UK usage, due to NHS limitations on the drugs and the high cost of going private, limiting availability to those more affluent demographics.  Typical pricing privately is about £200-300/month.

However, this won’t last forever. Oral pills which are already in the U.S will also be available in the UK over the next year. This will reduce price and remove barriers for those who are not comfortable taking injections. Drugs will also be coming off patent in some other markets (not the UK until 2030-ish. Manufacturers are also investing heavily to remove some of the supply constraints and the NHS is cautiously growing patient numbers over the next decade. The drug is a breakthrough in tacking obesity and is not going anywhere. Plus, GLP1 now carries approvals not just for weight loss but for other conditions just as cardio-vascular events.

Product impacts don’t stop with F&B.

I started to think where else industries would see a knock-on. And my first assumption was the clothes industry. And this is correct. Those who have experienced weight loss are good for the fashion industry. They need new sizes and clothes to show off their success. Overall, the clothing industry will see positives. But short-term, retailers will need to predict new size curves, as more size smalls and mediums are needed (though plus size will not disappear completely).

Additionally, there may also be increases in cosmetic spend, as women who experience a body transformation are more likely to want to ‘treat themselves’ to make-up, hairstyling etc. Plus, negatives of the drugs (Ozempic face) also drive more purchases of fillers, skin removal and tightening surgeries, devices and potions.

And in a totally separate example (a January 2026 Jeffries analysis) reported in the U.S press, airlines could save significant millions of dollars a year in fuel because of lighter passengers, if GLP1 adoption continues at the current pace.

Still in the travel industry, as people become more body confident, there could be a shift toward more activity-based holidays or mid-life revival hedonistic trip!

Other left-field impacts I have heard about - a boost in the dating industry (linked to confidence) or maybe worse -case, divorce lawyers?

The potential impacts are too broad to list them all.

What does this mean for us?

All marketers and product teams should add a GLP-1 lens when gathering insights and planning innovation and communications.

Don’t think that just because you’re not in F&B that it won’t impact on your brand. Think about how body changes, confidence changes, weight loss and fear of weight gain again (after coming off the drugs) can impact choices and behaviours in the home, in travel, leisure and retail and beauty purchases.