The news: GLP-1 usage in the US is at a record high, according to a new Gallup poll.

• Around 1 in 10 US adults (11%) are currently taking GLP-1s for weight-loss purposes, nearly four times the share in 2024.
• An additional 15% have used the medication at some point to lose weight, meaning that over one-quarter of the total US population has firsthand experience with GLP-1s.

The impact: Rapid adoption of GLP-1s is forcing consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to move with haste to keep dollar sales and volumes from sliding. Changing consumption habits related to GLP-1 usage could cost the US food-at-home sector between $8.9 billion and $21.7 billion, according to Big Chalk Analytics.

• GLP-1 related consumption loss is expected to shave 1.1% to 2.7% off grocery revenues in 2026, although much of that spending could be recouped in other ways.
• On a volume basis, CPG food sales are expected to decline 1.4% to 3.4% as consumers on GLP-1s adjust what they buy and switch to smaller package sizes.

However, GLP-1 users are not a monolith. They have a range of medical and emotional needs, and not every person wants to be reminded that they’re on the medication, Nestlé’s chief of marketing, David Rennie, noted in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. While some users are more receptive to products that are marketed as GLP-1 friendly, others may shy away from direct mentions of the drug and instead make choices based on nutritional labels. About half (49%) of GLP-1 users report paying closer attention to food labels since starting the medication, according to Dentsu.

Companies also need to consider how to update their products to suit GLP-1 users’ changing palates. The drug “sort of dulls your taste profile,” Rennie told The Journal, which is why Nestlé now enlists GLP-1 takers when testing new flavor combinations.

Implications for the CPG industry: CPGs should emphasize the attributes that make their products GLP-1 friendly—such as high protein or fiber content—without marketing them directly to GLP-1 users. Doing so will allow them to draw a wider net of customers: 44% of all US adults base grocery decisions on front-of-pack nutritional information, according to the International Food Information Council.

Similarly, flavor innovation will help boost appeal beyond GLP-1 users. Rising sales of condiments and spices show consumers value stronger and more distinctive flavors, creating an opportunity for food manufacturers to use taste to win over shoppers.

Focusing on product features that interest GLP-1 users and the rest of the population could offer a more sustainable path to growth for CPGs, as fewer users remain on the drugs long-term. More than half (54%) of those who take GLP-1s for weight loss spend less than a year on the medication, while just 18% stay on them for more than two years, according to a Sermo physician survey.