Ozempic, Wegovy reshaping how Canadians shop and eat: study

The use of GLP-1 drugs has impacted how Canadians shop and eat.

Nearly one-in-five Canadians are now using – or considering using – GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy, a shift experts say is already reshaping how people eat, drink and shop for food.

A new national study from Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab surveyed more than 8,000 Canadians and found only 46.5 per cent of users take the drugs solely for Type 2 diabetes, while 35 per cent say they use them exclusively for weight loss.

“These numbers are incredibly scary for the food industry,” said lab senior director Sylvain Charlebois. “A lot of companies have based their business models on impulse buying [and] impulse consumption. That’s what food is all about for a great number of companies.”

Charlebois said the rise of GLP-1 use, particularly for weight loss, is already forcing major companies to rethink how they operate.

“As soon as you have two-million people on these drugs solely for the purpose of losing weight and the impulse is gone, it becomes extremely difficult to sell food, and you’re already seeing what happening right now,” he said, citing restructuring at brands including Dr. Pepper, Kraft Heinz, Pepsi and Kellogg’s.

“You’re seeing sales drop by over $3 billion. You cannot overlook what is going on with GLP-1 drugs.”

Survey findings show significant lifestyle shifts, with 51.8 per cent reporting weight loss, 51.4 per cent saying they are eating less, 27 per cent saying they are going to restaurants less and a quarter drinking less alcohol.

Charlebois said the appetite-reducing effects of the drugs are altering buying patterns.

“Anything that has to do with sodium, sugar, fats, consumption,” he said. “Based on our report, you can see that consumers drop the consumption of the three elements.”

According to the survey, 18.8 per cent are buying fewer groceries while 14.6 per cent are buying less fresh meat, and 12.1 per cent are buying fewer fruits and vegetables.

Halifax pharmacist Jamie Lynn said he continues to see strong demand.

“Ozempic has been very popular over the last couple of years. It’s kind of really taken off as medication and used quite prominently and we’re seeing skyrocketing demand for it,” he said.

Wegovy, prescribed for weight loss, is less common at his location, but Lynn said that’s not the case across the province.

“From what’s I’ve been hearing from my colleagues, Wegovy is quite popular over all of Nova Scotia,” he said.

Charlebois said the industry has little choice but to respond.

“They’re either adapting or they’re restructuring or both,” he explained.

He notes Nestle launched an Ozempic-friendly product line and new federal rules coming into effect Jan. 1, 2026, will require front-of-package labels for products high in sugar, sodium or fat.

“If you have a product with a label like that, my guess is that most people on these drugs are avoiding these packages. The reality is that a lot of companies are just reformulating,” he said.

He said those changes combined with shifting consumer behaviour, signal the beginning of a new period in the food sector.

“I think this is the start of a new era where pharmaceuticals will continue to position themselves as a solution provider to people who don’t have a highly functional relationship with food in general,” he said. “Everyone has a place where they stop for coffee or breakfast or lunch or whatever. You have to attract people for different reasons now, just because of the GLP-1 phenomena. It’s quite literally an Ozempic tsunami.”