GLP-1 Drugs: An Opportunity Rather Than a Threat

Turning threat to opportunity?

Make no mistake, the appetite suppression that GLP-1 drugs can cause presents a legitimate short-term problem for food and beverage companies who are beholden to volume.

The Hartman Group cites December 2025 data from the Journal of Marketing Research showing real, significant impact on spending on grocery, savory snacks and at quick-service restaurants (defined as fast-food chains, coffee shops and limited-service restaurants) among households with at least one GLP-1 user. Those households spent less in those areas (5.3%, 10.1% and 8% respectively) just six months into taking the drug.

But is increased usage of GLP-1 drugs by consumers really such a threat to the industry’s long-term health? According to research from Capital One’s food, beverage & agriculture commercial banking group, the answer is no.

Paul Baisley, head of food, beverage & agriculture for the financial firm, says that with the focus so heavily on the short-term dips in consumption, some people have missed the long-term potential. People want explanations for food volumes being down, and GLP-1 is an easy-to-blame target — when there are numerous other economic factors driving volumes down.

But Baisley says companies “shouldn't be shying away from the opportunities, worrying about volume instead of finding those green shoots” of innovation to meet demand for this new subset of consumers.

Surveys of GLP-1 users thus far have shown that, yes, in the first six months on the medication, consumers eat fewer calories than they did prior to taking the medication — and a little less than that in the 6- to 12-month timeframe on the drugs. But, after a year, their caloric intake holds steady at the new level — they don’t continue cutting back on calories. In fact, Capital One’s research suggests food consumption volume not only stabilizes quickly after an individual’s first year on the medication, but ticks up 1%.

A further opportunity lies in the fact that GLP-1 drugs are expected to help increase patients’ life expectancies significantly through reduction of body mass index (BMI) numbers. Capital One’s report suggests an estimated gain of 14 years of life expectancy for GLP-1 users — which leads to a lot more food consumed over time.

“When you combine a calorie hit that's largely contained to the first 12 months with people living longer, GLP-1s present the opportunity for people to be ‘longer-term’ consumers of food products,” explains Colin Guheen, managing director, investment research group, food, beverage & agriculture, for Capital One. Additionally, Guheen notes that historically, when the food and beverage industry has seen consumers get truly engaged in consumption habits, it has presented opportunities for companies to benefit by accessing that group’s buying attention and power.

“Those consumers, when they're engaged, usually are willing to spend around the efficacy of what they're trying to accomplish,” he says. “That's been a winning formula for food companies, and I believe with GLP-1s, it will be as well.”

Supporting GLP-1 users

Heidi Skolnik, certified dietitian-nutritionist, fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and spokesperson for Link Snacks, believes consumers have been shifting their snacking habits, for example, toward perceived healthier options that deliver nutritionally and on taste as well, which positions well against what many GLP-1 users demand.

“Specifically for GLP-1 users, nutrient density matters because appetites are lower and cravings are different,” she says. “But it’s tricky because we don’t want to promote the idea that everything you eat has to be perfect; if you want chocolate or chips, that’s fine, but there’s less room now, with fewer discretionary calories.”

That means snacking might replace meals outright for some GLP-1 users, and the importance of the composition of the snacks they eat becomes paramount. Marcus says that Dole is leaning into helping GLP-1 users eat better with less through blog content and a “GLP-1 Resources Page” focused on low fiber intake, poor hydration and the risk of losing weight too quickly.

“One clear advantage for Dole and the entire fresh fruit and vegetable industry is that our products naturally address what GLP-1 users are missing,” she explains. “Our products are rich in fiber and water, which are two of the biggest nutritional gaps for GLP-1 users, and they are also easier to consume when appetite is reduced.”

Even without GLP-1 usage spurring it along, protein content already had become king for many food and beverage product launches. Those processors also could be well-positioned, because protein becomes even more important for GLP-1 users, says Skolnik.

“You still need a balanced diet — fruits, vegetables, fiber — but adequate protein is key, especially in a caloric deficit. Without it, your body breaks down muscle to get amino acids for essential functions,” she says. “As we age, we naturally lose muscle, about 1% per year, and when you’re on a GLP-1, muscle loss can accelerate to 15% to 30%, so it’s even more important to manage protein intake and exercise.”

Of course, exercise allows users to increase their caloric intake, but it also requires consumers to adjust their nutrient needs as well, opening additional opportunities for food and beverage to meet needs. Similar to nearly any dietary trend or change in food and beverage consumption habits over the years, processors might be able to forge new consumption trends with users down the road, says Jacqueline Van Schaik, lead nutritionist at New Zealand dairy co-op Fonterra.

“Because it's such a new area, there's little information about what the nutritional impact is when people go on GLP-1 medication,” she says. “Also, the population that is slowly tapering off the medication will have to try to find a new lifestyle commitment and new relationship with food after they stop the medication or go to lower doses.”

Promoting value over volume

Guheen says “the industry is built for this moment,” where product development and marketing can work together to communicate the benefits of food and beverage products that bring added value to GLP-1 consumers who are looking for protein and fiber, as well as nutrient density and more reasonable portions.

“When you’re not selling pounds but are selling value-added solutions, that equals pricing power,” he says. “People on this medication are engaged not only in what they’re putting in their body, albeit at a reduced calorie rate in that first year, but also on the holistic health side of things — that opens a marketing opportunity for value-added products that are valuable to them.”

Baskin sums up Hormel’s thinking when it comes to the impact that GLP-1 drugs by saying the company is “committed to evolving with consumers. We’ve done it many times before and we’ll continue to evolve as the way consumers eat and the types of food they choose continue to change.”

Looking through a similar lens at the future of food and beverage with increased GLP-1 usage stands as wise advice to any processor who wants to minimize negative outcomes and take advantage of new consumption trends.

“Produce delivers [fiber and hydration] in a way that’s easy to tolerate in smaller portions,” Marcus says. “So yes, fresh produce works as snacks and sides, but its real power is helping build smaller, nutrient-dense meals that can support sustainable weight loss.”

Guheen says most processors have moved beyond the panic caused by the initial thought of GLP-1 usage as a major threat, and points to the fact that “cutting back” on certain items doesn’t mean every GLP-1 user is going to completely abandon certain products all the way down to zero.

“There are categories that are beneficiaries, and it's the categories that lean into it, through functional ingredients or the package size or other things that make it more attainable for the GLP-1 population,” he says. “I'm not sure that any one food, the minute that you go on GLP-1, is something that you no longer enjoy consuming; people eat less of some things, but it's not complete, 100% aversion.”

Schueller of Ardent Mills reminds that many consumers are not interested in changing their current, strong relationship with food. He says 52% of adults surveyed by the company said they had no interest under any circumstance in adopting GLP-1 medications for various reasons, including the emotional, nostalgic connections many consumers have with food.

“There's a large portion of the U.S. adult population that doesn't want to change that relationship,” Schueller concludes. “So although we expect certainly a second wave and perhaps a third as this all evolves, we do expect that [GLP-1 usage] will remain in the minority and that it will continue to nuance and diversify in who it reaches, the purpose behind it, and how they act once they are on the drugs.”