In 2023, articles about Ozempic as the latest celebrity weight-loss miracle flooded our feeds. At first, we didn’t think much of it. Another health craze, another fleeting trend. But then came the science. Studies showed significant weight loss, reduced risk of heart attacks and diabetes, and even potential benefits for kidney disease and addiction treatment. That’s when we at Eat Well Global started paying attention. Then we started to see insights from GLP-1 medication users and healthcare professionals, from our our own research and others, all pointing to a fundamental shift in eating behaviors, lifestyle choices, and, inevitably, the food and beverage industry itself. The food and beverage industry has weathered evolving nutrition trends, changing consumer behaviors, and regulatory shifts before. But this feels different, especially as the usage of GLP-1 medications continues to grow. Are GLP-1s the Uber and Netflix of health and nutrition—rewiring the market permanently? Or are they more like coconut water or activated charcoal—buzzworthy but ultimately niche? To help marketers, strategists, and brand innovators in the food and drink industry answer this, we’ve spent over a year and a half tracking the GLP-1 medication space—not just watching from the sidelines, but conducting two proprietary research studies to understand what’s really happening. In this article, we'll explore the hallmarks of true industry disruption and whether GLP-1 medications fit the pattern.
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