Five ways weight-loss jabs are changing spending habits

These are injections that help some people lose weight, but weight-loss drugs are also changing the way people spend.

Nearly 1.6 million people in the UK have used weight-loss injections in 2024, and millions more have said they might want to try them, according to the latest research from University College London.

For those paying privately, they can cost more than £300 a month; But how are businesses adapting to a new type of consumer when their popularity is only expected to grow?

Weight loss injections work by mimicking GLP-1, a natural hormone that regulates hunger, and those who use them find their appetite reduced.

“My weekly food shop has really collapsed,” says Sam Gillson, 38, from Shropshire, who contacted him BBC Your Voice. He has lost more than four stone with slimming injections since June.

“I’m definitely buying more fresh food and fewer unhealthy fast food/convenience dinner options like pizza, chips and nuggets.”

In the past few weeks, The Co-op, Morrisons and Marks and Spencer supermarkets have started offering nutrient-dense ready meal ranges, and Ocado now sells 100g steaks, which it said was a response to a growing number of customers wanting smaller portions.

Sam says eating less means he wants to make sure “the smaller amount contains all the nutrients and vitamins you need.”

And it’s not just portion size. There are also varieties of food.

Protein-rich products take their place on the shelves as smoothies and snacks.

Jonny Forsyth, food and beverage strategist at consumer research group Mintel, says many of these trends are part of a broader shift, with health becoming more important, especially for younger consumers.

He thinks GLP-1 drugs are “changing the culture,” making it trendy to eat more nutrient-dense foods and “adding oxygen to existing trends.”

A survey last year by research consultancy KAM Insight found that almost a third of people taking GLP-1 drugs went out to eat and drink less frequently.

Annie Haslam, 70, from Cornwall, has been using weight loss injections since last March and currently spends around £186 a month on injections.

“Instead of eating takeout once or twice a month, I haven’t eaten in months,” he says. “I used to eat out at a restaurant maybe once a week, but I don’t do that anymore.”

Sam says he’s also cut back on the number of takeaways he gets, but adds that although he feels healthier, he hasn’t actually saved money considering the cost of the injections.

Earlier this month the boss of bakery chain Greggs said: ‘There’s no doubt’ that weight-loss drugs are leading people to seek ‘smaller portions’.

And this happens in fine dining too. Michelin-starred The Fat Duck restaurant in Berkshire, run by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal, has introduced a new menu for those who want to eat more “mindfully,” including those who use appetite suppressants, according to Blumenthal.

There is also evidence that people who use weight-loss drugs drink less alcohol.

A February 2025 study conducted by Numerator by consumer research firm Worldpanel found a 15 percentage point decrease in alcohol intake for households that were GLP-1 users compared to a controlled benchmark.

Nicole Tallant, the co-operative’s food trading director, told the BBC that members of the supermarket taking weight-loss pills were “reducing their alcohol intake as well as food consumption”, adding that they were “much more interested in their overall health and holistic wellbeing”.

Recent years have also seen an increase in soft drink options hitting shelves and bars. The British Beer and Pub Association expects consumption of low and non-alcoholic beer to reach a record high of 200 million pints by 2025.

“There’s already a pretty strong trend towards sobriety,” says Mintel’s Jonny Forsyth.

“If I were an alcohol company, I’d be a little worried about this. GLP-1 drugs could further strengthen this trend.”

One area Annie couldn’t avoid spending on was clothing. After going from a size 18 to a size 12, she says her old clothes “literally fell out.”

She estimates it would probably cost her “a few thousand pounds” to replace everything, including her underwear.

Dan Coatsworth, market director at AJ Bell, says none of the major fashion retailers on the stock exchange have talked explicitly about weight loss pills in their financial results comments, but in his view the direction of travel is clear.

He says the popularity of weight-loss pills will provide a “huge tailwind (boost) for the fashion industry.”

While it’s unclear how this will play out, Coatsworth believes second-hand platforms like the already popular Vinted could see even more growth for people who very quickly realize their wardrobe no longer suits them.

Simone Konu-Rae, senior lecturer in fashion communications at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, says people who lose a lot of weight quickly may find a new sense of confidence and be inspired to “reinvent” themselves by trying on new clothes they might not have had before.

“If you were a larger size, you might not have felt like these trends or fashion establishments were speaking to you,” she says. “So you can shop in a completely different way.”

The desire for a new look is also felt in the beauty and fitness industry.

Last year’s survey by market research firm Worldpanel by Numerator found an increase in spending on healthcare, toiletries and supplements among people taking weight-loss injections.

Some companies offering wellness retreats in the US and now the UK are now advertising special “retreats” targeted at GLP-1 users.

Will Orr, CEO of The Gym Group, says that weight loss drugs have increased the demand for fitness services, and people are looking to lose weight and build muscle mass by taking these drugs.

“We have begun training our instructors on how to best support our members with these treatments,” he says.

But he also points to a broader pattern of behavior that predates weight-loss drugs, calling health, fitness and wellness “overwhelming trends that aren’t going anywhere.”

This view is echoed by Georgia Stafford, a research analyst in Mintel’s beauty and personal care team, who says GLP-1s are “definitely on most brands’ radar”, but unlike the food industry, beauty brands are yet to launch products specifically aimed at weight-loss drug users in the UK.

“There have been some launches in the US,” he says, “but they are very niche and very expensive.” He points out that the cost of weight-loss drugs may also lead people to cut back on spending in other areas.

Instead, he says, many products often marketed as anti-aging, promising plumper skin and fuller hair, would be compatible with products that might appeal to those already taking weight-loss medications.

Meanwhile, data from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons showed an 8% increase in demand for facelifts in 2024; The group’s chairman said this was “an extension of a pattern we’ve always observed in post-weight loss patients” and “is now further reinforced by the broader use of these drugs.”

Additional reporting by Emer Moreau and Kris Bramwell