josh white1 in 9 U.S. Adults Is on a GLP-1 for Weight Loss
Gallup's latest numbers say 11% of U.S. adults are currently taking a GLP-1 medication for weight loss in 2026, up from 3% in 2024. That's about one in nine adults. Fifteen percent say they've used one at some point, and 90% of Americans are now aware of these drugs. Gallup also has the adult obesity rate at about 36-37% this year, down from a peak of 39.9% in 2022.
(The GLP-1 numbers come from 5,065 adults Gallup surveyed in late May and early June. The obesity numbers come from a larger sample of 10,091 adults across two survey waves this year, using self-reported height and weight, which Gallup itself flags. Still, that's a big shift in two years.)
If you sell food, drinks or supplements to health-minded adults, a real chunk of your customers now eat differently than they did when you wrote your brand positioning. I'd go back and look at it.
first, what you can't say
Before anything on positioning, the line you have to stay behind. I'm not a regulatory lawyer, so run your actual copy past one, but the basics are worth knowing.
The FDA's page on structure/function claims explains that these claims describe how a nutrient or ingredient affects the normal structure or function of the body, with examples like "calcium builds strong bones." Supplements making those claims have to carry a disclaimer that the product isn't intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, because only a drug can legally make that kind of claim. For conventional foods, the FDA says structure/function claims focus on effects that come from nutritive value.
So in practice I would not tie your product to the medication at all. I wouldn't say anything about "helping with" side effects or imply your product works alongside the drug, and I'd stay away from weight-loss or disease language entirely. The customer changed, so position around the customer and keep the drug out of it.
how the customer probably changed
I don't have data on exactly how GLP-1 users shop, so take this as my read and test it against your own customers.
If someone is eating a lot less, every serving they do eat has to count for more. Somebody who used to grab two snacks in an afternoon might grab one now, and they want it to actually do something for them. That makes protein per serving a bigger deal than it used to be, and so does protein per calorie.
Keeping muscle is a goal a lot of these folks seem to talk about, and it's one where a brand can say true, compliant things about protein and its role in muscle if your formula and substantiation support it. Hydration is another everyday basic worth making easy for anyone whose routine has changed. Don't connect either one to the medication or its side effects in your copy.
Portion size is the sneaky one. A big bag or a big tub can feel like a lot to someone whose appetite is smaller, and a smaller format might fit their week better, even if the price per unit goes up a little.
I co-founded a meat stick company (VARO), so protein per bite is something I think about a lot. Most of this applies to supplements too though, especially anything sold as a daily ritual.
positioning that stays on the right side
A few ways I'd go about it.
Talk about the person's goal
"Fuel for people who are eating less but still training" or "protein that fits a smaller appetite" speaks to that customer without saying a word about medication. I'd still get counsel to look at anything like that before it goes on a pack.
Lead with protein density
Grams of protein per serving and per calorie, right up front where they can see it. If your product is good here, make it obvious, and if it isn't, that's a product question worth asking.
Rethink pack sizes
Test a smaller format or a single-serve option before you assume your hero size is still the right one.
Don't shame anybody
People on a GLP-1 made a choice with their doctor and it isn't your business. Copy that sounds like a diet ad from 2010 is going to age badly and probably annoy the exact people you're trying to reach.
what it does to your numbers
This shows up in a few places, and most of them hit payback.
If customers eat less, they might buy smaller orders or reorder less often, so the monthly contribution margin per customer can drop even if nothing else changes. Payback is nCAC divided by that monthly contribution margin, so a lower margin per customer means a longer payback at the same nCAC. You can be spending exactly the same on Meta and see payback get worse without understanding why.
What I'd do is split your cohorts by the message or product that brought each customer in. If the people who came in on a protein density or smaller-portion message have a different reorder pattern than everyone else, you want to see that in your own numbers instead of guessing. If you're pricing a smaller pack, model what it does to contribution margin per order and per month before you launch it.
Your customer list has more people eating less than it did two years ago, so if you haven't looked at your positioning since 2024, I'd put it on the list for this quarter.
If you want help reworking your positioning or your cohort and payback math for this, book a call and we'll dig in.
GLP-1 usage and obesity figures are from Gallup. Nothing in this article is medical advice or a claim about any product. Check your label and marketing claims with qualified regulatory counsel.
free 30-minute call
Want a second set of eyes on your numbers?
Book a free 30-minute call. We'll look at where your nCAC, payback and cash actually are, and I'll tell you what I'd do next if I were in your seat.
Not ready for a call? Grab the nCAC & Payback Calculator, it's free.