"If you can't beat them, join them." Faced with the revolution in anti-obesity drugs, whose effects are so spectacular in the US that they are turning users away from the fattiest, sweetest and saltiest foods, Nestlé, the glorious inventor of KitKat bars and Buitoni pizzas, has come up with its response: a whole range of pastas, sandwiches and pizzas designed specifically for patients being treated with Novo Nordisk's Ozempic or Elli Lily's Zepbound. These two drugs, originally designed to treat type 2 diabetes, stimulate a hormone that causes insulin secretion and the sensation of satiety.
As the Nestlé USA press release points out, the craze for these treatments is unstoppable. The American Pharmacists Association reports that one in 60 American adults used these drugs in 2023 and according to J.P. Morgan Research, there will be 30 million users in 2030 or 9% of the country's total population.
On the face of it, it's a disaster both for the giants of industrial, fatty foods and for weight-loss diet specialists. Weight Watchers, the most famous one, is losing money and its share price plummeted in February when star Oprah Winfrey announced she was stepping down from the company's board of directors after promoting these new drug treatments.
But dietary experts have noted that, as well as drastically reducing weight, the drugs also cause muscle loss. Nestlé's new Vital Pursuit range therefore claims to provide protein and nutrient supplements to make up for any dietary deficiencies that appear. What's more, user testimonials seem to show that the success of this chemical weight-loss plan encourages patients to turn to healthier foods and exercise.
However, this treatment is not available to everyone. At over €1,000 a month, it quickly drains the funds of either users or the insurance companies that reimburse them. As long as the Novo Nordisk-Eli Lilly duopoly persists, it will remain this way, even in China where both are now authorized. But already, similar companies are trying to enter the US market by citing shortages in the face of demand, which is legal, with products five times cheaper. Like diets, American capitalism is astonishingly flexible.