Weight-loss jabs are rewiring eating habits. And topline figures suggest the grocery industry should be running scared.

GLP-1 drugs such as Mounjaro and WeGovy are already wiping millions of pounds off grocery bills, according to newly released research from Worldpanel by Numerator.

Spend among households using GLP-1 drugs declined by £780m over two years, found its study, which extrapolated findings from more than 11,500 households between March 2024 and February 2026.

What’s more, usage of the drugs is steadily growing. Across Britain, 6.3% of households now include at least one GLP-1 user, according to Worldpanel’s research, which was released this week. That’s up from 4.1% in 2025 and 2.3% in 2024.

As further developments come into play – the launch of the tablet format in the UK, and the drugs coming off patent – that number is only expected to grow.

One thing is clear: GLP-1 drugs are not a fad. In fact, Worldpanel already describes weight-loss jabs as mainstream.

“These drugs are fundamentally disrupting how people engage with food and drink, with ripple effects already being felt across grocery and lifestyle,” says Chantel Kennaugh, GB head of public sector and nutrition at Worldpanel.

But this isn’t a simple story of shoppers buying less. GLP-1 drugs are shifting the way users eat – opening up some surprising opportunities. And, as the user base continues to diversify, it’s important to understand the different demographics and motivations at play.

Here’s our round-up of the key takeaways for the grocery industry.

GLP-1 users aren’t necessarily who you think they are

The stereotypical GLP-1 user is an affluent, middle-aged woman. There is some truth to that assumption. Over 90% of users pay privately for their medication. The sheer cost of the drugs – an average of around £200 per month – means usage is naturally skewed towards wealthier households.

Nearly a quarter (23.3%) of current users have a household income of over £100,000, according to Lumina Intelligence’s GLP-1 tracking survey [28 w/e 1 March 2026]. But the perceived skew towards women is a different matter. Flora Zwolinski, insight lead at Lumina Intelligence, says a greater proportion of women than men consider using the drugs. But actual usage figures reveal a fairly even split between the sexes.

Similarly, assumptions around middle age usage are overstated. Lumina’s research found millennials – aged between 25 and 44 – were most likely to use GLP-1 drugs.

That analysis is backed up by Mintel. “GLP-1 users are primarily 18 to 44-year-olds, equal among both genders and biased towards more affluent people, which also correlates with educational attainment,” says Jonny Forsyth, Mintel food and drink principal strategist.

The question is how long those demographics will stand. The expected arrival of the drug in pill form later this year will appeal to the 39% of Brits who said they would be deterred by injections in an IGD poll of 2,000 shoppers in March. The biggest shift will likely come in 2031, when patents will begin to expire in the UK – making the drugs far more affordable privately or on the NHS.

“As prices start coming down, we expect to see usage broaden to lower-income households,” says Caroline Young, insights manager at IGD, which is running a GLP-1 insight programme. “It probably won’t happen immediately, but that’s when we’ll start to see a big impact on the food industry.”

That affordability could have a sizeable impact on geographical usage, too. Currently, Lumina data suggests one in five GLP-1 users are in London, while the drug undertrades in less affluent areas with higher obesity rates, such as the north east.

Side effects range from digestion issues to ‘Ozempic mouth’

GLP-1 side effects can differ dramatically from one person to the next. Most will welcome the effect of reduced appetite – but even here, intensity varies widely.

“Some people report a mild reduction in appetite, while others experience almost no appetite at all,” says Dr Linia Patel, a dietician and nutritionist who has written a book on GLP-1s: Life After Weight-Loss Medication. “Side effects and nutritional needs are highly individual,” she adds.

Still, studies have identified some common themes. Digestion issues dominate reported side effects among users of semaglutide, the medicine behind GLP-1 brands such as Wegovy and Ozempic. Most common was nausea (44.2%) followed by diarrhoea (31.5%) and vomiting (24.8%), found a clinical study of adults on a weekly dose, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2021.

Those effects are rapidly changing food and drink preferences, says Charlie Beevor, commercial partner at consultancy EdenLab, which has a platform tracking what GLP-1s users say about eating and drinking habits.

“Taste perception changes quickly and in extreme ways,” he says. “One user described butter chicken – something she’d eaten for years – as suddenly ‘gross and too sweet’. Long-standing Diet Coke habits vanish almost overnight. For a significant number of users, coffee goes from ritual to repulsive.”

At the same time, certain brands can help with these side effects, says Mintel’s Forsyth. “Hydration helps with nausea, as does more nutrient-dense and non-fatty food that contains key vitamins and minerals.”

There are also opportunities in the less common side effects, such as hair loss. In the US, major haircare brands such as Redken, Nutrafol and KeraFactor are leaning into the increased demand for hair treatments.

Then there’s the so-called ‘Ozempic mouth’, characterised by a dry mouth and bad breath. Worldpanel says this side effect has driven a 20 percentage point uplift in mouthwash spend and a 24 percentage point uplift in chewing gum spend among GLP-1 user households compared with non-user households.

Dietary changes depend on motivation and household

Weight-loss jabs reduce appetite and cause users to question their intake of calorific foods. However, not all GLP-1 users will change their eating habits in the same way. How they respond will often heavily depend on their underlying motivation for using the drugs in the first place.

IGD has split users into three key groups: those looking for a quick fix; those turning to GLP-1s as a last resort; and those who are driven by health reasons. The latter group is more likely to overhaul their entire diet, says IGD’s Young, whereas other users may simply eat smaller quantities of what they do already.

Isabel Lydall, founder of the Curious to Clear Collective, points to other influencing factors. Her shopper insight consultancy conducted 45-minute interviews across 500 adults using GLP-1 – and a nuanced picture emerged.

There has been plenty of talk around the ability of one GLP-1 user to change eating habits in the wider household. But equally, the converse can be true.

“Any change in users’ shopping and eating habits can be limited by the needs of the rest of the household,” she says. “Many users stick to ‘normal’ family foods, just eat less – and skip or reduce daytime eating rather than changing what they eat.”

At the same time, Lydall identified one group that was likely to make more wholesale changes to diet and lifestyle – what her consultancy brands “holistic re-setters”.

“They tend to skew older and more female, are often empty nesters and fairly affluent – and may also be encountering menopause or starting to think about the impacts of ageing,” Lydall explains. “When this group starts taking GLP-1s, it sparks a major reset of their nutrition, exercise and health more generally.”

Categories aren’t dying, just evolving

The rise of weight-loss jabs will create winners and losers. Snacking is the obvious casualty from the resulting reduction in appetite.

Nearly half (47%) of people on the drugs report snacking less, according to a Toluna study of over 2,000 current and lapsed GLP-1 users.

If they are snacking in between meals, they are making healthier choices. Over seven in 10 (71%) report swapping their usual fix for fruit, 44% turn to yoghurt, and 38% opt for hydrating drinks, according to Toluna’s research. Crucially, those tend to be still drinks focused on hydration – 43% are avoiding sugary drinks, and users often report discomfort when consuming carbonated beverages.

It’s good news for the healthier end of the market. “Fresh produce is having a moment that most buyers wouldn’t have predicted,” says Beevor at EdenLab. “Users describe vegetables shifting from chore to craving – so they’re eating raw carrots as snacks, and berries are replacing confectionery.”

Equally, it’s bad news for categories such as fizzy drinks, crisps, chocolate and biscuits. But while there has been talk of unhealthy snacks gradually dying out Forsyth at Mintel cautions against such radical predictions.

He believes the medication will only ever be limited to roughly 20% of the population, due to the side effects and potential health issues involved. And cost. Even among users, the picture is “more nuanced” than a simple move away from treats.

“Lindt has recently talked about how users of weight-loss drugs have been more likely to buy their products, as they seek better quality indulgence,” Forsyth points out. “If you spend less on treats, it becomes easier to justify more premium bites.”

Kerry, which has conducted its own research into GLP-1 users, forecasts categories will adapt rather than die. “Categories will need to evolve, prioritising smaller portions, functional benefits and adaptable flavour profiles to remain relevant,” says Aoife McDonald, UK&I commercial marketing director at Kerry.

Nutrient deficiency is a key concern

GLP-1 users have lower calorie consumption. So their intake of key nutrients may be lower – unless they make a concerted effort to eat certain foods.

Already, that’s resulting in widespread reports of nutrient deficiency. A Cleveland Clinic study of 460,000 adults prescribed a GLP-1 drug found nearly one in five developed a nutrient deficiency within a year – often unknowingly.

The evidence was enough for GP Ellen Fallows to describe malnutrition from weight-loss jabs as an “underestimated real world harm”, in a piece published in the BMJ in 2025.

The role of the food industry is clear here. Already, Asda, Morrisons, Co-op, M&S, Iceland and Ocado have brought out their own nutrient-dense ranges.

Kerry’s McDonald sees this as a canny move. “The potential for nutrient-dense ranges is large and a critical area for innovation, where the industry can truly partner with consumers,” she says, predicting particular opportunities across “fortified broths, mini-meals, functional beverages and targeted protein options”.

Nutritionist Gopi Chandratheva also points to growing demand for products that offer higher levels of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals in smaller portions.

“However, this also presents a risk for brands,” she warns. “Marketing in this space must be handled carefully. The most effective approaches are likely to be those grounded in credible nutritional guidance, transparency, and support for overall wellbeing rather than fear-based messaging,” Chandratheva adds.

The post GLP-1 period will require support

Nearly a fifth (18%) of people on GLP-1 drugs plan to stay on them indefinitely. That’s according to research consultancy Strat7 Incite, which surveyed 150 current and lapsed users in the UK, US, Germany and Sweden.

It means a sizeable proportion will have to come off the drugs at some point – even if it’s a long way off.

When they do make the leap, it can be daunting. IGD’s research found 58% of users are worried about the impact of stopping their medication.

“When we did qualitative interviews, w e heard such emotive language around that anxiety,” says Young. “The people who had come off the medication were talking about how those cravings came back quite quickly and intensely.”

Dr Patel believes: “The biggest challenge after stopping GLP-1 is often rebound appetite, food cravings and the return of ‘food noise’,” she says. “Weight regain is common if healthy habits and supportive food environments are not in place. ”

She says the food industry has a “huge opportunity” to offer support at this stage. For her, that’s about “satiety stacking”: combining protein, fibre, healthy fats and high-volume foods to create meals that naturally help regulate appetite.

Crucially, it’s important to remember that such benefits don’t just appeal to GLP-1 users. Healthy, nutrition-packed and convenient foods will also hold sway with anyone pursuing a healthy lifestyle.

As Mintel’s Forsyth sums up. “In many ways, weight-loss drugs are simply accelerating pre-existing health trends.”

If that turns out to be the case, the rise of GLP-1 drugs may turn out to be more of an evolution than a revolution.