Households that start GLP-1 appetite-suppressing medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy reduce food spending within months, including at grocery stores and limited-service restaurants, according to new research from Cornell University based on linked survey responses and transaction data.
New research from Cornell University suggests that GLP-1 receptor agonists—medicines originally developed for diabetes and now widely used for weight loss—are associated with lower household spending on food.
The study, published in the Journal of Marketing Research, linked repeated survey reports of GLP-1 use with transaction records from Numerator, a market-research firm that tracks grocery and restaurant purchases for a nationally representative panel of about 150,000 U.S. households. Researchers used the combined dataset to compare purchasing patterns before and after households reported starting the medications, and to benchmark adopters against similar households that did not report using the drugs.
Within six months of starting a GLP-1 medication, average household grocery spending fell by 5.3%, the study found. Among higher-income households, grocery spending dropped by more than 8%. Spending at fast-food restaurants, coffee shops and other limited-service eateries declined by about 8%.
“For households that stayed on the medication, lower food spending continued for at least a year,” said Sylvia Hristakeva, an assistant professor of marketing at Cornell, adding that the magnitude of the reduction “gradually became smaller” over time.
“The data show clear changes in food spending following adoption,” Hristakeva said. “After discontinuation, the effects become smaller and harder to distinguish from pre-adoption spending patterns.”
The declines were concentrated in categories often associated with cravings and high calorie density. Spending on savory snacks fell by about 10%, with similar reductions in sweets, baked goods and cookies, the study reported. Purchases of basic items such as bread, meat and eggs also declined.
Only a small number of categories showed increases, led by yogurt, followed by fresh fruit, nutrition bars and meat snacks.
“The main pattern is a reduction in overall food purchases,” Hristakeva said. “Only a small number of categories show increases, and those increases are modest relative to the overall decline.”
The findings add to growing interest among food manufacturers, restaurants and retailers in how rising GLP-1 use may reshape demand. The Cornell researchers said the results raise questions for companies that rely heavily on snack foods and fast food, and for policymakers weighing how medical treatments can influence eating behavior compared with tools such as nutrition labels or food taxes.
