Welcome to the weight loss revolution: How supplement brands can support the GLP-1 consumer

The category has been changed for ever – and brands need to respond to that paradigm shift if they are to remain successful, warned Jennifer Cooper, chief scientific officer at LPS Health Science.

“If you're clinging to the last remnants of what was once our weight management category, I'm telling you to let go, because the category is going to be transformed for ever,” she told the audience, adding: “Think about it differently, or you're just going to get left behind.”

Opportunities for the nutraceutical industry to serve the GLP-1 consumer

David Despain, senior principal nutritionist at Nestlé Health and Science, emphasised the magnitude of GLP-1 adoption, particularly in the US.

“We’re going to get to 24 million in 10 years. That’s more than the entire state of New York,” he said.

As the use of GLP-1s continues to rise, the demand for complementary solutions is increasing. Cooper identified several key areas where nutraceutical companies can play a role in supporting GLP-1 users, with three standing out: lean muscle mass preservation, blood sugar control, and managing gastrointestinal side effects.

She highlighted the fact that adherence can be problematic for a variety of reasons.

“We know from the data that there's a tremendous amount of cycling on and off [these medications], whether it's [because of] side effects that you cycle off, whether it's the finances where you cycle off, because you can't afford to stay on every month. And so, the ‘maintenance mode’ or the ‘in-between mode’ – I think there's an opportunity for us to help the consumers reinforce their healthy lifestyle,” she said.

Meanwhile, many GLP-1 consumers are looking for ways to maintain weight loss after coming off the medication; the average user regains two-thirds of their weight within a year or two of discontinuing, according to Despain. This is an area where nutraceuticals could make a significant impact, Cooper suggested.

Fasting support presents another area of opportunity. Given that intermittent fasting is an increasingly popular strategy for maintaining weight loss, products that enhance the fasting experience, such as appetite suppressants or metabolic boosters, could be valuable for GLP-1 users seeking to sustain their results, she added.

“If consumers are going to keep the weight off, I really believe that intermittent fasting is going to help reinforce the habits that they develop on these products,” she said.

GLP-1s: Bridging the nutrient gap

However, fasting may also contribute to another problem relating to the rapid weight loss associated with GLP-1 medications: a nutrient gap. Nutraceutical products that target skin health and muscle mass preservation are likely to experience increased demand as a result, Cooper said.

“There’s a huge nutrient gap that comes from the fact that we're decreasing our calories so quickly and losing weight so rapidly,” she explained.

“We now talk about ‘Ozempic face’ and ‘Ozempic behind’ because we start to lose some integrity of our skin when we become nutrient deprived. And so, there's opportunity there to offset those side effects as well.

“I think we're about to have a huge wave of new product development beyond repurposing existing products. That's what's coming next.”

Despain said Nestlé’s strategy has focused on creating “companion products” to GLP-1 medications, helping users meet their nutritional targets despite consuming fewer calories. The company has also launched a website to help educate consumers.

Navigating regulatory risks and consumer expectations

However, nutraceutical brands must tread carefully in how they communicate products’ benefits. Susan Hewlings, VP of research affairs at Radicle Science, advised caution when making claims in relation to GLP-1s.

“In the dietary supplements space, we have to be very transparent and clear that they’re supportive of people on a weight loss journey,” she said. “I would recommend on the conservative side to my clients that they not use the word ‘GLP-1’ or any of the words associated with the drug, because it's just a red flag [for regulators].”

Cooper echoed this concern, noting that while the current regulatory environment is relatively lenient, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may eventually crack down on such terminology.

“The claim is becoming ubiquitous... but I think there is a tremendous risk that the FDA at some point will crack down on it, and not just because the FDA is the FDA, but Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and the people that have developed these drugs – they have their hands full right now, but eventually they're going to be more grumpy about the way we talk about their drugs and their patented formulations,” she said.

“And so, I'm not telling people not to put it on their labels right now, but I'm telling them that there's risk that there will be... regulatory activity.”

Despite these challenges, the area is ripe for opportunity for brands that are willing to evolve, argued Cooper.

“You're going to have bad players that are going to tell you that they can mimic the GLP-1s – Kourtney Kardashian’s in trouble right now for her line of supplements,” she said.

“But... we can have a completely healthy, amazing weight loss category... We just need to grow up.

“We need better ingredients. We need more lifestyle implementation. We need to think about the whole category and how we substantiate our claims and what we’re offering to the consumer differently.”

‘Not a magic pill’: Behavioural change crucial to long-term success

Despain emphasised that a holistic approach is essential if brands are to provide true value to GLP-1 users, who need to understand that these medications are just one tool to help them implement wider behavioural change.

“We’ve done a lot of research with dietitians, quantitative research and qualitative, and we’ve heard that over and over – consumers need to understand it's not a magic pill... So, any tools that can help with simply helping people ease into long-term diet and lifestyle changes is still a fantastic opportunity for this industry,” he said.

Hewlings echoed this point, arguing that once the hype dies down around these drugs, “we’re going to come back to a similar place where we realise that even if this is a kick-start for somebody, it still has to be part of... a lifestyle change journey”.

Cooper agreed, adding: “One of the things that our industry does really well is: we understand how to help people make lifestyle changes. We know how to sell products in the context of, ‘This is a great product, but it's not a magic pill. You’ve got to change your life.’ And that's an opportunity.”