Summary of GLP-1 shopping behaviour shifts
- GLP‑1 users reduce annual supermarket spend by roughly one third
- Consumers on GLP‑1 buy less food overall due to reduced appetite
- Purchases trend lower in calories sugar carbs and saturated fat
- Shoppers shift from ultra‑processed foods toward fresher minimally processed options
- Small individual changes could scale and reshape industry reformulation priorities
With off‑label use surging, it’s virtually impossible to know how many people are currently taking GLP‑1 drugs like Wegovy or Mounjaro, or how many will be prescribed them in the years ahead. The same uncertainty applies to forecasting how this new wave of appetite‑suppressing medications will reshape behaviour.
Amid all the crystal‑ball gazing, what’s been missing is cold, hard data. Until now.
GLP-1 IRL: How new drugs change old habits
When it comes to GLP-1s, there are knowns and unknowns. It’s widely understood these new drugs boost satiety and reduce appetite. But much less is known about the true impact of the drugs on what people buy at the supermarket.
Fresh research out of Denmark is adding some colour to the story.
How researchers study GLP-1 behaviour changes in real-world settings
Between 2019 and 2022, researchers in Denmark analysed supermarket receipts of consumers, putting most focus on close to 300 people who had started taking a GLP-1 drug during this time. They compared their findings with what they’d bought one year prior to starting the medications, as well as with consumers not taking the drugs.
It turns out that consumers on a GLP-1 medication spent noticeably less on food. Before going on the drug, they spent around 52,523 kr per year (€4,944) in the supermarket. Once on the medication, that fell to 35,051 kr (€3,299) – a one-third drop in supermarket spend.
This suggests that GLP-1 consumers bought less food overall, likely due to reduced appetite.
Healthier shopping baskets, and fewer UPFs
Shoppers taking GLP-1 drugs also bought “healthier” food overall. Although the changes were small, they were consistent.
An analysis of consumer receipts reveals purchases were lower in calories, sugar, carbohydrates and saturated fat. They were also higher in protein.
Just how small are these changes? Pretty small. Calories in purchased foods dropped just -2kcal per 100g, sugar dropped by about half a gram per 100g, and protein increased slightly. But although changes were small person by person, across a whole country the effect could be meaningful.
If this pattern is replicated in larger and longer-term studies, it could be relevant for food manufacturers in terms of product formulation
Kathrine Kold Sørensen, Copenhagen University Hospital
The research also suggests that GLP-1 medications could change food cravings, since people on the drugs shifted away from ready-made, packaged ultra-processed foods towards unprocessed foods – like fruits, vegetables, meat and fish – as well as minimally-processed foods like yoghurt, cheese and nuts.
GLP-1 behaviour: a modest shift that could add up
What’s notable here is that GLP-1 users don’t dramatically change their shopping behaviours once on the drug. Purchases alter, but they’re “modest, relative shifts”, explains corresponding author Kathrine Kold Sørensen from Copenhagen University Hospital. She didn’t observe large or abrupt changes in overall consumption.
However, the results may signal that as GLP-1 use becomes more widespread, preferences could gradually shift away from highly energy-dense and ultra-processed products towards foods with lower energy density and higher protein content. And that’s where the food industry should take note.
Study limitations
- People who upload receipts may be more health‑conscious than average
- The researchers didn’t have data on participants’ weight/BMI
- Changes may partly reflect people deliberately trying to lose weight - not just drug effects
- Misclassification of food items is possible, but affects both time periods
“If this pattern is replicated in larger and longer-term studies, it could be relevant for food manufacturers in terms of product formulation,” says Sørensen.
The same is true for the researchers’ finding that shoppers chose slightly healthier foods overall. It’s a modest shift, but Sørensen notes that with time and scale, it could add up. If that happens, might manufacturers lean further into reformulation – cutting sugar and calories, boosting protein – to appeal to GLP‑1 users? It’s a trend worth watching.
Want to learn more about the GLP-1 disruption?
Don’t miss our Positive Nutrition broadcast series and dedicated session on GLP-1 Disruption. Hear from experts at Lifesum, Circana, Cornerstone Nutrition, Släcka and more – available to watch on-demand now.
