More Yogurt and Nuts, Less Alcohol and Snack Foods: How GLP-1 Medications like Ozempic are Influencing People’s Food Spending Habits
April 16, 2025 | 1 min to read
Grocery spending decreased by 5.5% within six months of starting popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, according to research from Cornell University. This trend was particularly pronounced in higher-income households, which experienced an 8.6% decline in food expenses. The findings suggest that these medications not only aid in weight loss but also significantly influence spending habits among users.
Grocery spending dropped by 5.5% within 6 months of starting the weight-loss drugs.
It’s no secret that weight loss drugs have exploded in popularity over the last two years, with about 12% of American adults reporting that they’ve used a medication like Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro to slim down. That’s a big portion of the population — and new research shows that being on these medications influences what people spend their money on.
One study, a joint effort by researchers from Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business, analyzed food-spending data from people who used GLP-1 receptor agonist medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. The researchers discovered that households with at least one member on these medications had a drop in grocery spending by 5.5% within six months of starting the drug. The effect was even bigger in higher-income households, where spending plummeted by 8.6%.
To read more, please visit Yahoo! Life.