“Weight loss drugs present design challenges and opportunities”
The rise of appetite‑suppressing drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy isn’t just shrinking their tens of millions of users worldwide, it’s reshaping consumption habits.
That, in turn, is forcing food and beverage brands to rethink and redesign their output.
When people suddenly want less food but better nutrition, it forces companies to reconsider everything from product development to packaging design and information hierarchies.
Forget supersized portions – these future consumers will crave smaller, smarter meals they can actually finish without waste or guilt. Appetite‑suppressing drugs are causing palates to shift, with less tolerance for ultra‑sweet or greasy foods.
That’s an interesting creative opportunity from an emergent F&B design perspective.
Cleaner, simpler recipes create space to move away from diet‑style medical checklists and clinical language, or the samey, personality‑driven brands of past decades that have filled the lifestyle FMCG aisles.
Examples include brands like Huel, and similar wellness players, that balance aspirational lifestyle messaging with listed product benefits; protein and fitness brands that rely heavily on influencer partnerships and “transformation” messaging; probiotics and kombuchas covered in wellness symbolism; and snack bar brands that use similar fonts, earth‑tone aesthetics, and wellness buzzwords.
Now, consumers are making room for more authentic and appetising design language. This opens up a chance to rethink category codes and come up with new expressions.
New priorities and portfolios
Communicating clear signals of health, satisfaction, and support – while remaining desirable and appetising – will be critical as brands audit their portfolios and prioritise reformulations.
Back to today, and quick off the mark, Nestlé is launching Vital Pursuit frozen meals specifically tailored for GLP‑1 users. In the US, Conagra is adding “GLP‑1 friendly” labels to Healthy Choice trays to highlight high‑protein, portion‑controlled meals.
Daily Harvest is curating dedicated “GLP‑1 Companion” meal collections rich in fibre and nutrients.
For brands in this space, future KPIs will include:
Catering to smaller portions with right‑sized formats.
Offering no‑prep, easy‑to‑track meals that help audiences manage intake precisely.
Building dedicated sub‑brands.
Leveraging on‑pack cues and digital education.
Prioritising cleaner labels and simpler ingredient lists in offerings such as single‑serve lines and mini snacks.
A shift for restaurants
Restaurants are also seeing smaller orders, with discussions about the need to include “semaglutide sections” or small‑plate menus that cater to customers on weight‑loss medication.
Heston Blumenthal, himself a user of Mounjaro, spoke recently about launching a “mindfulness menu” where customers get the same amount of food and theatrics, just in much smaller portions – every dish one‑half to one‑third the size of a tasting menu.
As he told The Times:, “My staff and I have noticed a shift in eating habits…. Customers aren’t finishing their food like they used to. Weight‑loss medication hasn’t ruined my enjoyment of food, I just eat less of it.”
European chains like LEON, Pret a Manger, and EXKi already emphasise nutrient‑rich meals with clear calorie labelling.
In the UK, brands like GAIL’s Bakery and Joe & The Juice focus on smaller, premium‑quality offerings that support the “less but better” mindset. In the US, chains such as Sweetgreen, CAVA, and Chipotle are well‑positioned for this shift, thanks to customisable, portion‑controlled meals with more transparent nutrition.
Operators are rethinking menus to offer flexible combinations, half‑portions, and health‑forward cues without sacrificing either experience or revenue.
For fast‑casual dining chains, convenience will continue to be king. With less attention dedicated to food as an indulgent ritual, ready‑to‑drink shakes, single‑serve bowls, and no‑prep solutions can make portion control increasingly effortless.
This means outlets will need to apply more sophisticated design thinking to smaller portions by:
Right‑sizing packaging to avoid making portions look inadequate.
Creating premium positioning through materials and finishes.
Developing modular packaging systems for customisable combinations.
Designing clear nutritional communication without clinical overtones.
nnovating in portion visualisation so customers feel satisfied, not shortchanged.
As Blumenthal says, “For us, less food doesn’t mean lower cost because you still need the exact same ingredients and number of staff to make it.”
The connection to the booming health and wellness sector has also been seized by a previously ailing WeightWatchers (WW). The slimming club is repositioning itself not only to integrate GLP‑1 prescriptions but also to launch customised nutrition and behaviour plans to support women through menopause.
This signals a shift from diet‑focused to medical‑adjacent branding, which will have design implications, like moving away from traditional “weight loss” imagery and language, defining next‑generation medical credibility with approachable, supportive aesthetics and developing sub‑brands or product lines that feel less stigmatised.
Glass half full
For the beverage category, shifts are concerning: multiple sources report that people are drinking significantly less – or sometimes stopping altogether – which is a real threat for the social‑drinking category at large.
The Guardian noted “teetotal” shifts in GLP‑1 users threatening drinks companies. Forecasts predict a 4% volume decline in alcohol and soft drink categories over the next decade. This presents a clear opportunity to innovate in premium low‑ and no‑alcohol alternatives, adult soft drinks, using mindful consumption cues aligned with a more health‑conscious, lower‑appetite lifestyle.
These innovations could adopt more sophisticated aesthetics that compete with premium spirits and clearly differentiate from traditional soft drinks through:
Premium packaging materials and finishes (embossed labels, textured bottles, distinctive closures).
Ritual‑focused packaging that maintains the ceremonial aspects of drinking.
Transparent labelling of functional benefits (adaptogens, nootropics, etc.).
Colour palettes moving away from primary brights toward muted, sophisticated tones.
Typography that feels crafted rather than mass‑produced.
“Less food, more meaning”
For brands, semaglutide’s growth is both a challenge and an opportunity. They need to build trust with consumers navigating smaller appetites in an overwhelming food landscape.
Design’s future role will be crucial in balancing “less food” with “more meaning.”
This includes building trust through authentic, non‑medical visual languages, supporting new portion psychology by making smaller amounts feel satisfying and complete and communicating nutritional transparency without clinical coldness.
The challenge will be to redefine categories by breaking away from outdated diet/wellness visual codes, design consumption journeys that feel intentional and premium rather than restrictive, innovate with materials and finishes that signal quality over quantity.
And brands will need to clarify information hierarchies so nutrition communication is accessible without intimidation, telling authentic brand stories around mindful consumption rather than restriction.
The brands that win won’t just sell less food – they’ll deliver more purpose, and potential for a healthy life in every bite.
Sophie Maxwell is strategy partner at WeWantMore.