The New Order of an Emerging GLP-1 Economy

“If we were just to get a fraction [of potential members] to engage in the way that we do things differently with GLP-1s – it’s an insane opportunity for the company.” These words come from the Life Time chain of fitness clubs about the “Miora” wellness clinics they are now putting inside their facilities. It gives us a glimpse of the new order of things in an emerging GLP-1 economy.

Everybody wants a piece of the action.

Upending Industries

Writing in the LA Times, Andrea Chang describes a broad range of industries planning for profound changes:

“As availability increases and costs come down, GLP-1 medications threaten to upend the long-standing natural order for industries across the board.

“Executives and investors are nervously wondering whether droves of slimmed-down users will soon ditch their dieticians, skip the gym, order less at restaurants, and throw out their favorite snack brands. Many companies, acknowledging that the blockbuster class of drugs are a medical breakthrough and not just a fad, are swiftly repositioning themselves with new products and services in a bid to persuade customers that they still have plenty to offer in the booming age of Ozempic.”

Healthy Opportunism?

Call us skeptical. Because the sound of entrepreneurs chasing “insane opportunities” seems to promise some bad outcomes ahead. Capitalists seeking to exploit the flow of money for overpriced medicines while promising to transform the lives of people with a complex health problems can stumble in more ways that we can count.

No doubt many people will benefit. Because access to real medical care for obesity will grow. Industries that profit from unhealthy consumer behaviors might be forced to make their money from healthier patterns. They might even contribute to a more robust culture of health.

But you can be sure there will be many blunders in this new GLP-1 economy. Dispensing potent medicines in nail salons likely will not end well for those involved.

Click here for Chang’s reporting, here and here for more on economic implications of GLP-1 medicines.

Relief of Darius in Persepolis, photograph by Derfash Kaviani, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

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July 19, 2024