Marks & Spencer launches ‘nutrient dense’ range for people on weight-loss jabs | Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer targets weight loss vaccine users with a new range “nutrient-dense” foods It claims it will satisfy customers who eat less.
The retailer said the range, which will launch on January 5 and includes salads, breads, yoghurt bowls and chicken dinners, is “perfectly portioned with a high amount of nutrition per calorie.”
People trying to lose weight in the UK are increasingly turning to appetite-suppressing shots such as Wegovy, Zepbound and Saxenda.
The trend has created new challenges for food retailers such as M&S, who are struggling to maintain sales as some customers eat less.
“It’s great if customers are reducing their food intake, such as people taking GLP-1 medications,” said Annette Peters, head of food innovation at M&S. “We’ve challenged ourselves to make products that are more nutrient-dense than calorie-dense, so every bite is packed with the nutrients we all need.”
M&S’s push to target the weight loss shot market follows similar moves by Morrisons, which announced a partnership with health and wellness brand Applied Nutrition earlier this month. We offer a range of “GLP-1 friendly ready meals”.
From the beginning of January, 53 “high protein” products, including ready meals, sandwiches, breads and cheeses, will hit shelves in around 400 Morrisons supermarkets.
The pressure from weight-loss vaccine users could increase if pharmaceutical companies succeed in bringing an anti-obesity pill to market.
Weight loss shots that mimic the gut hormone GLP-1 have gained popularity in recent years but are still expensive for most users. Pharmaceutical companies are racing to be the first providers of weight-loss pills that will be easier to store, distribute and administer, and ultimately cheaper than their injectable counterparts.
However, questions continue to be asked about the side effects of GLP-1 drugs, which are also used in the treatment of diabetes. These include pancreas-related problems, which prompted health officials to launch new studies into the drug’s side effects earlier this year.
So far, weight-loss vaccines have provided a financial boost to big pharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly, which last month became the first drugmaker to reach a market value of $1 trillion (£740bn) in the US. The company developed tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for obesity.
