GLP-1 Food Labels Carry Risk as Users Prove No Monolith, Experts Warn

Eleven percent of U.S. adults now take GLP-1 medications for weight loss — up from 3% in 2024, according to a September Gallup update. That near-quadrupling in a single year is exactly why food and beverage marketers are racing to reach shoppers whose appetites the drugs suppress, and exactly why experts warned against overplaying the trend at Food Dive's Oct. 28 virtual event on health and wellness innovation.

"The GLP-1 user is not a monolith," said Dan Weisbach, vice president of beverage accelerator LA Libations. "What I see that works is building a great brand that benefits from GLP-1 adoption, not a brand that is wholly dependent on it."

That's a pointed distinction, and it lands on an industry already committed. With 137 million Americans — more than half of all adults — eligible for the drugs, the addressable market is enormous. Conagra has added a "GLP-1 friendly" label to flag nutrient-dense products. Nestlé went further and launched an entirely new brand aimed at GLP-1 users.

What does the labeling actually deliver?

Possibly very little, said Kristie Sigler, global managing director for food, agribusiness and beverage at FleishmanHillard. "The jury is still out" on GLP-1 labels, she said, because nutritional needs shift across a weight-loss journey. A consumer just starting the medication doesn't shop like someone months into the regimen.

The churn complicates things further. More than half of GLP-1 users stop taking the medication within the first two years, and many restart after regaining weight. "How do you market to what we think of as a kaleidoscope of consumers?" Sigler asked. "That really is the challenge that a lot of food companies are currently trying to figure out."

Danone's quieter route

Danone designed a yogurt drink specifically for GLP-1 users — Oikos Fusion, with fiber and a patented protein blend to support muscle mass and gut health — yet skipped the "GLP-1 friendly" label. The front of pack reads "muscle + digestive health support" instead.

Miguel Freitas, vice president of nutrition and scientific affairs at Danone USA, said shoppers need nutrient-dense options with protein and fiber no matter where they sit on the GLP-1 journey. Formulation goes beyond those two nutrients, he noted: calorie count and sugar content matter just as much.

Education matters too. Freitas called for more guidance for GLP-1 users on making informed food choices, including from pharmacists and nutritionists. Danone built a GLP-1 nutrition hub partnering with external dietitians to help consumers tailor diets with science-backed guidance.

"You need to be more educated on what you pick at the shelf, with or without having 'GLP-1 friendly' on [the] front of pack," Freitas said.

The broader positioning play

GLP-1s have accelerated demand for functional ingredients and minimally processed foods, which suggests a wider audience than drug users alone. Sigler's advice: rather than pigeonholing products for GLP-1 users, teach shoppers why protein and fiber matter.

"The industry conversation is going from those very general protein and fiber conversations to very specific elements of those to help people make smarter choices," she said. "I think what we're seeing is smarter and more targeted messaging."

For CPG marketers, the takeaway is unglamorous but clear. Brands that hitch themselves entirely to a medication cycle — one with heavy dropout rates — inherit its volatility. Brands that sell nutrition to everyone, GLP-1 users included, don't.