How GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are changing what and how people eat in Connecticut

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Kayla Harrison, originally from Newtown, said she opened Nourish’d in Stamford last year with the idea of providing healthy food for people trying to “make better lifestyle choices.”

Among the items stocked on the shop’s shelves are high-protein ramen cups, high-protein cereals and muffins, prepared meals and other healthy alternatives.

“Regardless of trends or medications, proper nutrition, adequate protein and truly balanced meals are essential to good health,” Harrison said.

Though her clientele is diverse, some of Harrison’s customers have spoken with her about taking GLP-1 medications, such as Wegovy or Ozempic. The loss of muscle mass is a concern with weight loss, so protein intake is important to watch when a patient is taking such drugs, she said.

“I have had people who have come in and mentioned that they are on a GLP-1 and they are looking for ways to get more protein into their diet,” Harrison said. “Regardless of if someone is on a GLP-1, or an athlete or a busy mom, everyone needs to be prioritizing protein and making sure that they’re maintaining healthy muscle mass, because as you age, your bone density decreases.”

Nourish’d does not cater only to people taking weight loss medications, but the shop’s success is perhaps indicative of a shift in how people in Connecticut and elsewhere are eating, driven by the rise in GLP-1s. Snack food makers such as Nestle are offering new protein-rich options as well as hosting websites dedicated to staying healthy while on the injected medications. Dunkin’ added protein milk to its menu and began marketing “Megan’s Mango Protein Refresher” with musical performer Megan Thee Stallion.

A Kaiser Family Fund survey released in November showed that one out of eight Americans, or 12% of survey respondents, are currently taking a GLP-1, and one out of five, or 18%, have tried one in the past.

An analysis by financial firm Morgan Stanley Research put the number somewhat lower, but said it’s a large enough segment of the population to impact the food industry.

“The food, beverage and restaurant industries could see softer demand, particularly for unhealthier foods and high-fat, sweet and salty options,” according to Pamela Kaufman, Morgan Stanley’s tobacco and packaged food analyst.

Bill Pustari, owner of New Haven’s Modern Apizza, has heard about people taking GLP-1 medications who are “losing your taste buds, your desire for and enjoyment of the flavor of stuff.” And though he doesn’t believe destination restaurants such as his have been impacted, he said he’s sure others have been.

“For us as an industry, we’re just trying to talk to our members and educate them that this is a reality, that you’re seeing customers that are coming out, that maybe have less of an appetite, and what can you do about it,” said Scott Dolch, head of the Connecticut Restaurant Association. “You’re seeing restaurants that are offering smaller portion options. You’re also seeing a lot of protein-specific things that are out there.”

How GLP-1 medications work

Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research and development at the V.A. St. Louis health-care system and a clinical epidemiologist at the Washington University School of Medicine, has studied GLP-1 medications, and said that though they are in wider use now, they’re not that new.

“They’ve actually been around for about 20 years, initially developed as anti-hyperglycemic or anti-diabetes medications,” he said.

GLP-1 medications were initially developed to help the body better metabolize sugar and regulate insulin production, but Al-Aly said doctors noticed that patients using them were losing weight.

“When people with diabetes were prescribed a GLP-1, they started shedding pounds right and left, like really shedding pounds,” he said. “People then realized these medications do more than just treat diabetes. They actually suppress appetite and really result in massive weight loss in these individuals.”

There are two types of GLP-1 medications: Mounjaro and Zepbound made by Eli Lilly, and Ozempic and Wegovy made by Denmark-based Novo Nordisk. When those companies realized they could market these drugs for weight loss, they approached the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for authorization to prescribe their products to treat obesity, Al-Aly said.

“Primarily, they suppress appetite and delay what we call ‘gastric emptying.’ Normally, the stomach moves the food down, so people feel like, ‘Now I have an empty stomach, I need to eat more.’ They actually slow that gastric emptying, or slow that movement down to the point that people feel full almost all the time,” he said. “In addition to that, they also suppress appetite centers in the brain, so people feel satiety.”

The first authorization for GLP-1 use in weight loss came in 2014, when Novo Nordisk’s Saxenda gained approval, and more authorizations for updated medications followed. Since then, Al-Aly said use of GLP-1 medications has exploded.

“The market cap for that company is actually bigger than the GDP of Denmark,” Al-Aly said. “The company’s market cap is bigger than the country in which it resides.”

Changing patterns

Al-Aly called GLP-1 medications “wonder drugs” and said he does not begrudge their popularity.

“Our understanding of obesity evolved, and now we actually understand it to be literally a chronic disease state that could be effectively treated and managed with, for example, drugs like a GLP-1,” he said. “It is a disease state like high blood pressure, like cancer. It’s not lack of willpower. It’s not like an individual is at fault.”

But he said he expects the use of GLP-1 medications to increase as prices drop and more medications become available. Until recently, these medications had to be injected, but the FDA approved the first-ever GLP-1 pill last year.

“They’re in the American zeitgeist. Everybody knows about GLP-1s,” he said. “Oprah is talking about them. Everybody is talking about them. Everybody is on a GLP-1.”

That concerns Jean Cronin, executive director of the Connecticut Package Stores Association, who said GLP-1 medications are one major factor pushing down alcohol sales.

“We have been hearing about GLP-1s, because it’s taking away people’s cravings for both food and drink, which includes alcohol,” she said. “I think that is definitely contributing to the liquor-beer industry’s downtrend in sales.”

Cronin, like Dolch, said she expects the pill form of GLP-1 medications to push usage higher than ever. If, in fact, 12% of Americans are using injectable GLP-1s now, a pill version will impact restaurants, package stores and other industries, too, she said.

“It’s easier for people to take, less expensive than the injectables. So it’s going to provide even more people with the ability to take the medication, because it’s going to be more affordable,” she said. “Clearly, that’s going to be changing a lot of marketplaces.”

This article originally published at How GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are changing what and how people eat in Connecticut.