Americans will do anything to cut corners when it comes to losing weight.
That includes turning to new weight loss drugs that numerous recent studies are starting to indicate many have potentially significant consequences.
And now Nestle is making one drastic change in response to this popular weight loss drug’s major impact on Americans.
Nestle announces new “Vital Pursuit” products
The Nestle company is gearing up to launch a new line of food products uniquely tailored to people using weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro.
The drugs, known as GLP-1 drugs, or glucagon-like peptide 1 drugs, have taken the market by storm, which is now expected to reach nearly $30 billion in the next six years.
Nestle’s new Vital Pursuit brand will feature around 12 products that cost $5 or less each, including frozen protein pasta, pizzas, and sandwich melts.
All of the products are made with a higher amount of protein and essential nutrients like vitamin A, potassium, and iron.
The global food company said they are “portion-aligned to a weight loss medication user’s appetite.”
This is the first time the company has created a food brand specifically intended for people who use GLP-1 drugs.
Nestle is known for brands like DiGiorno Pizza and Nesquik, as well as several candy products, cookies, and baking ingredients.
GLP-1 agonists are a class of Type 2 diabetes drugs designed to support and improve blood sugar control, but they can also lead to weight loss.
Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy is the weight loss-only version of its Ozempic diabetes medication, and Eli Lily’s Zepbound is the weight loss-only version of its Mounjaro diabetes medication.
These drugs have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years once people realized their impact on weight loss.
Meanwhile, food executives have taken note that some of their shoppers’ habits are changing.
Walmart CEO John Furner said in a November earnings call that while it was still too early to determine how these drugs would affect customers and the company, they had noticed “some shifts in categories.”
Furner also acknowledged in a prior interview with Bloomberg that the company had seen “a slight pullback in overall basket. Just less units, slightly less calories.”
Nestle sees an opportunity
The surge in popularity of these weight loss drugs have given rise to an opportunity for Nestle to be at the “forefront” of what the company says is a “growing market opportunity.”
Novo Nordisk told Fox Business that at least 25,000 Americans are starting to use Wegovy each week, and the number is growing.
The pharmaceutical company is ramping up production to meet demand, and said that “four times” more American patients are now turning to the drug each day than were doing so in December 2023, less than six months ago.
According to the American Pharmacists Association, one in every sixty adults were prescribed a GLP-1 drug in 2023.
According to JP Morgan, that number could reach a total of 30 million users in the US by 2020, or around 9% of the overall population, leading to a projected market of $100 billion the same year.
Nestle North America CEO Steve Presley said, “As the use of drugs to support weight loss continues to rise, we see an opportunity to serve those customers.”
US Political Daily will keep you updated on any developments to this ongoing story.
