Big Food pours millions into rebrands as obesity drugs reshape US demand

Global food and beverage companies from PepsiCo to Coca-Cola are focusing on shorter ingredient lists and smaller pack sizes in 2026 as more people take appetite-suppressing GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.

Companies that previously took a wait-and-see attitude now see GLP-1s as here to stay. So far this year, nearly three dozen companies outside the healthcare industry have mentioned GLP-1 drugs or weight loss on their earnings conference calls, up from 14 for the same period a year ago, and just five two years earlier, according to LSEG data.

Diet changes linked to GLP-1 drug use could mean up to $12 billion in snack sales lost over the next decade, according to EY-Parthenon estimates. Adoption of GLP-1 drugs, which suppress appetite and are mainly prescribed for diabetes and weight loss, more than doubled in the 12 months to December, with about 20% of U.S. households now including at least one user, according to a PwC analysis.

Read more from Reuters.