Another Sign GLP-1 Medicines Might Reshape Food Marketing
Nothing succeeds like success. And thus, the success of GLP-1 medicines for obesity seems to be prompting a re-ordering of marketing for packaged food. Under the Healthy Choice brand, ConAgra has begun promoting an ON TRACK badge that identifies their meals as “GLP-1 Friendly,” as well as high in fiber and protein.
ConAgra Senior VP Bob Nolan believes GLP-1 medicines will be a lasting influence on consumers and says the company is working to meet their changing needs that result:
“We found they already are finding this food. But we want to help them. We just want to make it a little bit more obvious, a little easier on them.
“We don’t want to wait to be the last guy, because we do know that the companies that help solve folks’ problems better, and they find them easier on the shelf, there is a sustained advantage over time.”
FOMO
Yes, fear of missing out is very real here. Nestlé was first to market with a product line tailored to the needs of GLP-1 users. The Vital Pursuit brand launched in September. Though the branding does not explicitly label it as “GLP-1 friendly,” it, too, emphasizes protein and fiber to align with what these consumers are seeking.
Threat and Opportunity
Food marketers are responding quickly because they view the effects of a growing number of GLP-1 users as both a threat and an opportunity. KPMG estimates that this dynamic could lead consumers to spend $48 billion less on food and beverage purchases every year for the next decade.
But it is not necessarily all bad news for the industry as the KPMG analysis notes:
“While GLP-1 users are consuming fewer calories, our analysis indicates they still represent a $190 billion market – they are just consuming differently.”
So GLP-1 medicines are already influencing food marketing. As their use grows, their influence will continue to grow.
Click here for the KPMG Report, here for an analysis from scholars at Cornell, here and here for further perspective on the ConAgra ON TRACK launch.
Market at Trouville, painting by Eugene Boudin / WikiArt
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March 17, 2025
March 17, 2025 at 8:18 am, Adva Weinerman said:
I enjoy reading you, try to read most of your daily inspirations, info etc.
I’ve been using Ozempic and then switched to Wegovy. Thankfully our Medicare in Israel dropped the price to a very easy to live with one. However following today’s article, I cannot but wonder what kind of food users like me are using in their daily diet because i did not know there was anything I need to follow etc.
March 17, 2025 at 8:59 am, Allen Browne said:
Mind-boggling. Thanks for the news/observations.
Allen
March 17, 2025 at 9:12 am, David Brown said:
It may turn out that prepared foods containing grain-fed chicken will eventually not be considered GLP-1 friendly. (2023) “Poultry meats, in particular chicken, have high rates of consumption globally. Poultry is the most consumed type of meat in the United States (US), with chicken being the most common type of poultry consumed. The amounts of chicken and total poultry consumed in the US have more than tripled over the last six decades… Limited evidence from randomized controlled trials indicates the consumption of lean unprocessed chicken as a primary dietary protein source has either beneficial or neutral effects on body weight and body composition and risk factors for CVD and T2DM. Apparently, zero randomized controlled feeding trials have specifically assessed the effects of consuming processed chicken/poultry on these health outcomes.” https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/16/3550