Medium cappuccino with skim milk, please.
Since she started taking Ozempic,
Reagan Sather has lost her taste for treats.
My desire for food completely changed,
and it also impacted how much I could eat.
That smaller appetite has changed how she shops for groceries.
Really focusing on fresh meat,
fresh produce. It completely eliminated any snacking.
Ozempic, Wegovi and Manjaro are used to manage diabetes and
obesity.
In Canada, more than one million patients are taking these
drugs.
In the US, it may be as many as 15,000,000.
This is resulting in a overall decrease in food consumption,
which is a change in terms of some of the
diets that have come in the past.
Walmart says it's already seeing people who use weight loss
drugs spend less on groceries.
If shoppers buy fewer salty snacks and sugary drinks,
that could slim down profits.
So big food companies are paying close attention.
And trying to adapt. Coca-Cola is doubling down on high
protein milk and sparkling waters.
Danone will boost investment in yogurts and nutritional drinks.
Nestle plans to launch a line of portion controlled frozen
food.
Dietitian Abby Langer says patients do need to watch what
they eat.
What ends up happening often is that you miss out
on nutrients that are really important,
like protein and fiber. But while new packaged options may
be fast and convenient,
I think there's going to be a lot of criticism.
Big of those Ozempic ready meals just because people are
going to be saying well.
Ultra processed food got a lot of people where they're
at now.
For people taking weight loss drugs,
it's still just a tool and you still have to
make the right decisions in order for it to work
properly.
What they choose to put in their shopping cart has
likely changed for good.
Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto.