How Ozempic And Legal Weed Are Changing What America Eats
The rise of appetite-suppressing drugs like Ozempic is changing the way Americans eat, but there’s a twist: cannabis legalization is pulling consumer behavior in the opposite direction. Bloomberg’s Prognosis newsletter recently dug into this fascinating interplay, highlighting how these two trends are reshaping the food industry and public health.
The Ozempic Effect: Appetite On Pause
Ozempic, Wegovy and other GLP-1 agonists have become household names for their remarkable ability to help people shed pounds. These drugs don’t just curb appetite, they’re also influencing what people buy. According to a Morgan Stanley report, households using GLP-1 drugs have cut their spending on snacks, pastries and ice cream by 6% to 9%. Meanwhile, healthier options like yogurt and vegetable snacks are seeing a boost, as companies like Danone (OTC:DANOY) and Nestlé adjust their product lines to meet demand.
Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO), maker of Ozempic, has even received calls from food industry leaders worried about the drug’s impact. And they have reason to be concerned: Walmart (NYSE:WMT) has reported that households with GLP-1 users are buying less …