The proliferation of medicines for diabetes and weight loss, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, does not yet seem to have impacted the volume of food purchases in supermarkets and cash-and-carry stores in Brazil. A survey carried out by the market intelligence company Scanntech reveals that the impact of the arrival of these medicines in Brazil on the markets is still minimal, unlike markets where .
The research found that the growth in the official number of sales of GLP-1-based medicines had practically no impact on sales in most food sectors, with stability in basic grocery and perishable products.
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To arrive at the results, Scanntech evaluates everything from macroeconomic variables such as inflation, average income and unemployment rate to data such as average temperature and interest in bets to rule out other factors impacting the analysis. Then, a long-term assessment is made, by region, to project consumption. Only then is the consumption of weight-loss pens superimposed to draw a correlation.
Scanntech’s marketing director and responsible for the company’s market studies, Priscila Ariani, also adds that the use of medicines should be even higher than official data. “This further validates the results of our analysis that, in the country, there is no relevant impact of a drop in food sales caused by weight loss pens.”
In fact, the research managed to identify another trend. “What we see is that the growth in the use of these medications is part of an even broader behavioral change in the search for healthiness, well-being and performance”, says Ariani.
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If, on the one hand, the consumption of Ozempic and Mounjaro did not reduce food consumption in markets and wholesale stores in Brazil, food categories linked to proteins and performance in physical activities gained space. The volume of whey protein grew 117.1%, followed by creatine, with an increase of 84.1%. Protein cereals increased 18.4% and protein yogurts grew 22.5%, as did pre- and post-workout products. Flavored milks with higher protein content increased by 15.8%. Sugary and high-calorie foods, on the other hand, faced a decline.
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“The reduction in calories and the increase in proteins are noticeable in consumption, but they are a result of both the use of pens and a broader movement to seek a more fit body. While GLP-1 patients are advised to increase their intake of fiber and proteins, people seeking a healthier life have already been making this change” points out Ariani.
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These supplements, explains the researcher, left the bubbles of athletes to take over the table of the general population. “The context of health and fitness overlaps with the growth of medicines – for example, the search for the term ‘gym’ on Google is 2.5 times higher than for the term Mounjaro.”
Scanntech assesses that the potential loss of patents and the consequent increase in access to medicines could make their effects on consumption more visible, with a direct and measurable relationship. Research carried out by Cornell University in the United States, a more mature market for this type of medicine, pointed to a reduction in food consumption of 5.3% among consumers after six months of using GLP-1-based medicines.
“We continue to monitor the topic continuously, observing categories, purchasing missions and changes in shopper behavior”, says Ariani.
