Now Get GLP-1s as Well as Ginormous Food Packs at Costco

Honestly, there is so much glaring, blinding irony in the news these days that this one almost slipped by us. Costco makes its money from selling people ginormous packs of food, but now the chain is getting into the action on GLP-1s by selling them at the discounted price of $499 per month. Both Ozempic and Wegovy. No indication of a discounted price for Zepbound or Mounjaro (yet).

At a glance this did not seem like big news, despite all the headlines it garnered. The $499 monthly price was already available in other channels of trade. But then, the juxtaposition of ginormous food portions with a pricey drug that makes people want very little portions smacked us in the face.

Yes, GLP-1s at Costco present a jarring conflict with the consumer culture of overconsumption that warehouse clubs embody so well.

Reshaping Consumer Marketing for Food

Public health advocates have had little luck with their efforts to regulate food marketing. They frequently claim their schemes could or might be effective. But when it comes right down to it, they have had little effect in the real world. The explanation is that sinister food marketers keep scheming to foil their efforts.

But it could be that market dynamics will not change until consumer needs and desires change. And that, says Kristen Schwab on Marketplace, means that GLP-1s might bring change to both the market and marketing for food:

“Something like 12% of Americans have used GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. As prices come down and drug companies invest in better oral versions of the injectable medication, the number of users could grow. That’s tricky for the food business because solely selling smaller portions, at lower prices, isn’t going to bring in enough money.”

What does it mean when deep discounts for GLP-1s meet ginormous packs of food at Costco? It’s too soon to tell. But one thing is certain. Change is coming. And this change will be more profound than clumsy efforts to regulate food marketing.

Click here for more from Marketplace, here, here, here, and here for further perspective.

Ginormous Costco Teddy Bears, photograph by Bart Everson, licensed under CC BY 2.0

Subscribe by email to follow the accumulating evidence and observations that shape our view of health, obesity, and policy.

October 12, 2025