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GLP-1 Drugs Are Changing What Households Buy, Study Finds

Clinicians urge patients not to pause doses over the holidays.

Overview

  • A Journal of Marketing Research analysis linking surveys to 150,000 households finds average grocery spending falls 5.3% within six months of starting a GLP-1 and limited-service restaurant spending drops about 8%.
  • The sharpest declines are in ultra-processed snacks and sweets, while spending ticks up slightly on yogurt, fresh fruit, nutrition bars and meat snacks.
  • About one-third of users discontinued the drugs during the study period, and after stopping their food spending returned to pre-adoption levels with slightly less healthy baskets.
  • With the holiday season underway, obesity specialists advise against pausing injections, citing blood-sugar risks, little benefit from skipping a shot, and sickness when restarting at higher doses.
  • Experts also flag reduced alcohol tolerance and social pressures for users, recommending portion control and healthier party options to minimize side-effects.