Can Ozempic save us from the perils of obesity? It turns out that the drug, first developed to treat diabetes, has become a high-profile appetite killer. Ozempic and similar drugs are skyrocketing in popularity, thanks to their ability to help take off those dreaded pounds.
Another delicious fringe benefit: The nation’s leading producers and sellers of food, especially of the junk variety, are worried that consumers may be cutting back on loading up the shopping cart.
Ozempic was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating Type 2 diabetes in 2017. Doctors have also been recommending it as an effective appetite suppressant to patients who are obese.
Oreo cookies, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Whoppers, begone!
This self-appointed Fat Nag is overjoyed. This writer has been on a decadeslong crusade to nudge, cajole, convince — and, yes, nag you — to get the fat out. Longtime readers know I am a fierce combatant in the war to end obesity in America.
We have an out-of-control obesity epidemic. Currently, about 42% of Americans are obese, a jump of nearly 10% from the last decade, according to data from the American Heart Association.
The malady is linked to chronic and fatal diseases, such as diabetes, stroke, some cancers and heart disease. A new study now shows that carrying too much girth may be especially hard on the heart. Between 1999 and 2020, deaths from heart disease linked to obesity tripled in the United States, a study published Sept. 6 in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows. Specifically, Black adults suffered the highest rates of obesity-related heart disease deaths, with the highest percentage of deaths occurring in Black women, the study shows. The fat is killing us.
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That’s why I have cheered on many well-intentioned strategies to defeat this modern-day plague, from Michelle Obama’s White House campaign “Let’s Move!” to Cook County Board Toni Preckwinkle’s so-called soda tax. Those efforts, along with countless others, failed. The obesity epidemic, and our waistlines, keep growing. The Fat Nag has despaired.
Now comes Ozempic.
Over the summer, I was delighted to see a friend was slimmer and trimmer. His doctor prescribed Ozempic for his diabetes, he explained, and voila! He dropped a bunch of pounds. No wonder these drugs have become wildly popular.
Citing data from market research firm Trilliant Health, Bloomberg reports that “Walmart sells GLP-1 drugs, a category that includes Ozempic, through its pharmacies. In August, it said they were giving the retailer a revenue boost. U.S. sales for those medicines increased 300% between 2020 and 2022.”
A boost in some ways, but food producers and sellers are worried. As Axios reports, the use of Ozempic and similar drugs “could radically reshape the food industry, and investors and food industry executives are starting to pay attention.”
Walmart, the monster retail behemoth, has research that indicates that customers taking Ozempic, Wegovy and other appetite suppressants are buying less food, according to Bloomberg. Walmart analyzed its pharmacy and grocery data to determine buying trends in its stores, Bloomberg reported earlier this month.
“We definitely do see a slight change compared to the total population, we do see a slight pullback in overall basket,” John Furner, CEO of Walmart’s U.S. operation, told Bloomberg. “Just less units, slightly less calories.”
It’s too early to tell if the trend will continue.
Still, “an increasing number of CEOs and investors are talking about how popular weight-loss drugs might change the economy and business,” Bloomberg reported Oct. 4. “Earlier this week, the CEO of the maker of Pringles and Cheez-Its said the company is studying their potential impact on dietary behaviors.”
“Like everything that potentially impacts our business, we’ll look at it, study it and, if necessary, mitigate,” Steve Cahillane, the CEO of Kellanova, was quoted as saying.
Mitigate away. It’s a beautiful thing to see the Walmarts of the world losing sales on the junkiest of junk food. The Nag is a staunch advocate of healthy eating and exercise. I have watched an endless succession of fad diets, weight loss surgery and other get-skinny-quick plans come and go. We are losing ground on this mission.
Ozempic is not magic.
We do not yet know the long-term impact of the drugs’ side effects or whether they are a solution to the obesity crisis. More research and time will tell. But right now, it offers hope for those who have spent their lives struggling with obesity — and who want to live.
Laura Washington is a political commentator and longtime Chicago journalist. Her columns appear in the Tribune each Monday. Write to her at [email protected].
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