Drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy used by some for weight loss are changing the appetites of consumers.

These drugs – categorized as glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists, or simply GLP-1, suppress the appetites of their users. As a result, J.P. Morgan Research found that GLP-1 users have purchased about 8 per cent less food – including snacks, soft drinks and high-carb products – over the past 12 months compared to the average consumer.

As a result, food producers have been eager to design new products to appeal to these consumers. Nestlé, for example, has created a new line, Vital Pursuit, to appeal to GLP-1 users. Its prepackaged food options are high in protein and fibre, and fortified with nutrients that someone taking a weight-loss drug may lack in their diet.

The new products are expected to reach U.S. grocery stores in the final months of 2024. The products won’t specifically include mentions of GLP-1 medications, but Nestlé indicated the company will more directly connect the brand to the drugs via social media.

Nestlé sold its U.S. candy business in 2018, and more recently has withdrawn its Lean Cuisine frozen products from Canada. Its market shares have languished and it recently announced a CEO change.

In any event, the Vital Pursuit products are still ultra-processed foods.

At the Nutrition 2024 Conference, the American Society for Nutrition reminded participants that eating more ultra-processed foods raises the risk of type 2 diabetes, dementia and some cancers.

So while Nestlé’s new products may be meant to assist health-conscious consumers eager to lose weight, at the same time those consumers are left to wonder about nutritionists’ cautions about the health risks associated with such ultra-processed foods.