The weight of Ozempic: Understanding consumers' approach to weight loss

Did you know that 60% of adults in the US and UK have a weight loss goal heading into summer?

Weight loss is a deeply personal journey, often fueled by emotions such as hope, frustration and determination. These emotions drive consumers to seek out products that not only promise results but also resonate with their personal experiences and aspirations. For many, weight loss impacts self-esteem and overall well-being, making the market highly responsive to innovative solutions.

One of these products is Ozempic, initially a diabetes medication, that has begun gaining attention for its weight loss benefits. As consumers hear about its success, their perceptions and purchasing decisions are shifting. We wanted to understand the impact of Ozempic on consumer behavior and what this means for future trends in the weight loss industry.

We would like to call out that here at Zappi, we support body positivity and are in no way suggesting that anyone needs to lose weight. Using Ozempic for weight loss has become a hot topic among consumers and we were curious to dig into this new trend and how its usage, as well as general views on weight loss and weight loss products, may vary among consumers.

That said, we surveyed 1,500 consumers in the US and 1,000 in the UK to get their take on weight loss and weight loss products, focusing on Ozempic in particular. Read on to get our findings, straight from consumers.

To obtain a solid base understanding on the topic, we first asked consumers how they approach weight loss today. 

There are many ways to approach weight loss, but the most commonly used methods across the US and UK according to consumers are exercising, eating healthier foods or eating less throughout the day.

Those who have a weight loss goal will on average pick three methods to help them lose weight. Around three quarters choose to exercise, just over 70% choose to eat healthier and about half opt to eat less food. 

When it comes to the use of over-the-counter supplements and prescription medication, these aided methods are more popular in the US than in the UK.

Consumers reported that despite having a weight loss goal, almost 30% still indulge in unhealthy foods frequently as they claim the biggest challenge to losing weight is the temptation for unhealthy foods.

People who marked themselves as “never indulging” were a very small portion. Interestingly, women were more likely to indulge within the UK, while men were more likely to indulge in the US — with the overall US frequency of indulgence while having a  weight loss goal was more prominent than in the UK.

Other than temptation, the next biggest challenge is lack of commitment or determination, followed by determination and high costs. Only 16% of people find “high cost of healthier options” the biggest challenge — revealing the biggest perceived challenges are internal rather than external.

Next, we dove into what consumers are looking for in weight loss products, how frequently they do so and their thoughts on the available options. 

Frequency

We found that over a third of consumers purchase weight loss products at least every other time they shop for food and drinks. This rises to around 45% for those who have a weight goal. 

However, even those without a weight goal purchase a weight loss related product at least every other time they shop, with over 1 in 5 consumers claiming to do so.

Generally, over half of consumers agree there are enough options when it comes to weight loss products. Nevertheless, when asked whether more brands should offer more weight loss products, around 60% agreed. Among those with a weight loss goal, agreement was higher at almost three quarters of consumers, and is still relatively high for those without weight loss goal.

Claim and attribute influence

While there has been increased traction in positive nutritional claims to denote health, such as “full of fiber”, “high in protein”, “rich in vitamins” etc., low sugar and low calorie continue to be the ones most associated with helping weight loss. These are followed by “high protein” and “high in fiber” which shows the aforementioned increase in positive nutrition positioning. 

While this shift towards positive claims is trending, it's still the “low” or “no” claims (eg. no sugar, low calories, no preservatives) that consumers associate more with weight loss. 

But we are beginning to see the positive nutrition claims starting to become equally as encouraging (if not more) among consumers, with high protein and high fiber as the top contenders. As seen in the chart above, people would be most encouraged to try a new health conscious product if it was labeled as having high protein. This is mostly driven by the US respondents and the claim is immediately followed by low sugar in enticement — with no significant difference between the two.

In the UK, calorie count is more important than the US, and it continues to be the number one claim that would encourage the trial of a new weight loss product. 

Opinions differ slightly in the US and UK in terms of which products should focus more on weight loss attributes. However, sweet snacks, ready meals and desserts are some of the top across both markets. 

In the US, there is more emphasis on drinks needing to focus more on weight loss attributes — perhaps the difference comes from the fact that there is legislation in the UK to help reduce the levels of sugar in drinks (soft drinks industry levy).

While over 45% of consumers say they would be willing to pay more for a portion-controlled version of their favorite product, more would pay a premium for a better-for-you alternative to their favorite product.

Other things they look for

In both markets, consumers would be most likely to try a new food or drink for weight loss if it had better taste claims or they were able to trial it first, with taste being extremely important. Positive reviews and recommendations follow with just over 40% of consumers agreeing these factors would encourage them to try.

For consumers in the UK, as much as they would like to trial the product, a clear labeling of health benefits is essential in encouraging them to try, much more so than in the US.

Most people buy branded products when purchasing weight loss products. Despite price not being a major barrier to buying weight loss products, people claim it’s the number one reason they might choose private label products over branded ones. 

Better taste and positive reviews and recommendations follow, with recommendations being more important in the UK and better taste more important in the US.

In the US, about 60% of people have heard about Ozempic being used for weight loss while in the UK just over 40% have. 

Unsurprisingly, the perception of how popular the drug is is higher in the US with two thirds of consumers perceiving it to be popular compared to just over half in the UK. However, when we focus on the people who are aware of the drug being used for weight-loss, popularity perception is the same across markets with 80% of people saying it’s quite popular.

The number of people claiming to use Ozempic for weight loss is nearly the same as the number of people using it for its intended purpose of managing diabetes. This is the case in both the US and the UK, but within the US the general use of Ozempic is higher overall. 

Almost a third of people across markets say they would be interested in trying Ozempic over the next 12 months and at least a quarter agree it’s safe to be used outside its prescribed purpose.

If using weight loss drugs, about 40% of people say they would be likely to use companion meal lines. Amongst those currently using Ozempic for weight loss, likelihood is higher with almost 60% agreeing to do so in the US and over 80% in the UK.

Based on these data points as well as those uncovered in our full analysis, these are our main takeaways:

1. There’s an opportunity to tap into the weight-loss or “healthier than” space. Even consumers who don’t have a weight-loss goal actively seek out these products, 60% of consumers believe more brands should offer products that support weight-loss and over half would be likely to pay a premium for a “better-for-you” alternative to their favorite product

2. Nutritionally positive claims are worth exploring. While “low/no” claims continue to cue weight loss most, consumers would also be highly encouraged to try new health-conscious products if they have nutritionally positive claims like “high in protein” or “high in fiber.” It’s important to understand what “healthy” means for consumers in your category and cater accordingly in a way that is right for your brand. 

3. Taste is paramount when it comes to innovating in the “better for you” space. Consumers look to be encouraged on a product’s taste before buying it as options that support weight-loss are notorious for under delivering. While consumers with a weight-loss goal may be attracted to weight-loss claims, great taste can help them combat temptation for unhealthy products — the top barrier to achieving weight-loss goals.

4. As always, messaging that justifies a price premium is key to competing with private label. While only seen as the biggest barrier to achieving weight-loss goals by 16% of consumers, price is the number one reason for choosing private label over brands when shopping for weight-loss products or healthier options. Ensuring consumers are educated on the product benefits and superiority vs. competitors can help justify a price premium.

As seen with the rising interest in Ozempic, consumers are increasingly drawn to solutions that offer tangible results and align with their personal experiences and preferences. Understanding the intricate factors that influence consumer purchasing decisions as well as opportunities is crucial for businesses aiming to succeed in the competitive weight loss market. 

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