Weight-loss drug users save over £400 a year on grocery bills as take-up triples

weight-loss drugs are saving users’ households more than £400 a year on grocery bills, according to new research, which found use of GLP-1s has nearly tripled in the past two years to 1.9 million adults.Just more than 6.3% of households in Great Britain now include at least one GLP-1 user, according to the survey from Worldpanel by Numerator. This marks a sharp rise from 4.1% of households in 2025 and 2.3% in 2024.The research showed that in the year after starting taking the drugs, households with at least one GLP‑1 user spent £780m less on groceries than expected compared with similar households.The increase in use of drugs such as Mounjaro and Wegovy is also having a significant impact on grocery spending, according to a survey of more than 11,600 households, as GLP-1 users buy less food at the supermarket.Grocery spend by households that include a weight-loss jab user has declined by £780m, with 299m fewer grocery packs bought during February, when the analysis took place. This equates to a £418 drop in grocery spending for user households compared with non-user ones.More than half (52%) of GLP-1 users described their approach to eating as “mindful”, meaning that their food consumption was guided by hunger, rather than being linked to habit, routine or restriction.More than half (54%) of weight-loss jab users reported that they experienced fewer cravings and less “food noise”, while one in 10 (11%) users said they no longer enjoyed their usual favourite foods or drinks.Just more than 6.3% of households in Great Britain include a user of GLP-1 drugs such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, the survey found. Photograph: Niall Carson/PAGLP-1 users said they were cutting back on treats: three-quarters (75%) reported eating less chocolate and a similar number (72%) reduced their consumption of crisps. The survey found this claim was supported by their shopping habits, as chocolate confectionery spend fell by 18 percentage points more in GLP-1 user households compared with non-user households.The change in eating habits among GLP-1 users was not just confined to the home. Two-fifths (40%) of people taking weight-loss drugs said they wanted to see smaller portion sizes on restaurant menus, while more than a quarter (26%) requested a GLP-1-friendly section of the menu to choose from when eating out.A common side-effect of weight-loss jabs, a dry mouth and bad breath – known as “Ozempic mouth” – drove some users to buy more mouthwash and chewing gum to counter this, with sales up 20 percentage points and 24 percentage points respectively in GLP-1 user households compared with non-user households.Chantel Kennaugh, the head of public sector and nutrition GB for Worldpanel by Numerator, said: “What was once a specialised treatment, primarily prescribed for type 2 diabetes, has in just a few short years become a mainstream force. Now, 68% of users are taking GLP-1s specifically to lose weight, opening them up to a much wider audience.“These drugs are fundamentally disrupting how people engage with food and drink, with ripple effects already being felt across grocery and lifestyle, forcing brands and businesses to adapt at pace.”Some retailers have already begun to offer products specifically targeted at consumers taking weight-loss jabs.Marks & Spencer introduced a new range of “nutrient dense” food at the start of the year, aimed at satisfying customers who are eating less, while online supermarket Ocado has created a virtual “weight management” aisle.Price has re-emerged as the primary barrier to taking the medication, Worldpanel found, with two-fifths (41%) of users reporting stopping in 2026 because of the cost.