More than two million Britons on weight-loss jabs are not only shedding pounds but also reshaping how they spend their money. Drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, which mimic the hunger-regulating hormone GLP-1, have surged in popularity – and new research shows they are transforming shopping baskets from the supermarket to the pharmacy.
A study by market research company Worldpanel by Numerator, based on survey responses and purchase data from more than 11,000 UK households in February, found that homes with at least one GLP-1 user spent an average of £418 less on groceries in the year after starting the medication, compared with non-users. That amounted to a fall of £780m in grocery spending nationally.
“Weight-loss jabs are cutting grocery spending by £418 per household and shifting demand towards side-effect remedies.”
The findings echo a peer-reviewed study from Cornell University published last year, which showed that US households with a weight-loss drug user cut grocery spending by 5% within six months – rising to 8% among higher-income families.
But the shift is not just about spending less. Users are changing what they buy. Worldpanel found that those on the drugs bought less chocolate and pastries and more fruit and protein-rich foods like prawns – a likely result of feeling fuller for longer and being less prone to eating out of boredom. They also consumed less alcohol.
At the same time, spending rose on products that counter common side effects of GLP-1 medications: chewing gum, mouthwash and hair dyes. The drugs can cause thinning hair and bad breath, driving demand for remedies.
“This isn’t simply a story of shrinking demand,” said Nishita Pattni, a senior consultant at Worldpanel by Numerator. “It’s also a story of shifting demand.”
Cornell’s research found users cut back most on calorie-dense, processed foods – spending 10% less on savoury snacks, for example – and bought less cheese, butter, soft drinks and eggs but more yoghurt. However, households “revert to their pre-adoption grocery spending patterns” when they stop taking the medication, and even shift towards slightly less healthy baskets.
The impact 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. Over half of weight-loss jab users surveyed describe their eating-out habits as changed.
The jury is out on whether the long-term effect will be a permanent restructuring of consumer spending or a temporary dip. But for now, the weight-loss revolution is rewriting the rules of the weekly shop.