More than two million people in the UK now use weight-loss medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro – and their shopping baskets are changing as a result, with households spending an average of £418 less on groceries each year, according to a study by market research company Worldpanel by Numerator.
The drugs work by mimicking the natural hormone GLP-1, which regulates hunger, and users report feeling less hungry. The research, based on survey responses and observed purchase data from more than 11,000 households in February, estimated that the total reduction in grocery spending nationally amounted to £780m.
“Weight-loss jab users spend £418 less on groceries yearly, with spending shifting from snacks to mouthwash and hair dye.”
But the cuts are not uniform. Households using the medications spent less on chocolate, pastries and alcohol, and more on fruit and protein-rich foods such as prawns – likely because they feel fuller for longer and are less prone to eat out of boredom. They also bought more chewing gum, mouthwash and hair dyes, products that counter common side effects like thinning hair and bad breath.
“This isn’t simply a story of shrinking demand. It’s also a story of shifting demand,” said Nishita Pattni, a senior consultant at Worldpanel by Numerator.
The findings mirror a peer-reviewed study from Cornell University published last year, which found that US households with at least one member using weight-loss drugs spent 5% less on groceries within six months of starting the medication, rising to 8% among higher-income families. That study also showed users cut back most on calorie-dense, processed foods – spending 10% less on savoury snacks – and bought less cheese, butter, soft drinks and eggs, but more yoghurt.
The effect extends beyond the supermarket. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed by Worldpanel reported cutting out or trying to reduce meals out since starting their jabs.
But the research warns that when users stop taking their medication, they tend to revert to their pre-adoption grocery spending patterns and even shift toward slightly less healthy baskets.