90% of GLP-1 users still buy ice cream

DairyReporter said on August 5 that about 90% of people using GLP-1 medications still buy ice cream, a finding that cuts against the assumption that appetite-suppressing drugs automatically erase demand for indulgent foods. The report said the category is holding up because shoppers are still making room for treats, but are doing so through smaller portions and products positioned around protein or lower calories. (dairyreporter.com) Parallel coverage by FoodNavigator on the same date described the same pattern in similar terms. (foodbusinessnews.net) ### Where does the 90% figure come from? Food Business News reported in July that Mintel research found 90% of GLP-1 users still purchase ice cream, adding that the share was actually higher than in the general population. (foodnavigator.com) Dairy Processing repeated the same Mintel figure two weeks later and attributed the interpretation to Stephanie Mattucci, Mintel’s principal strategist. Stephanie Mattucci told Dairy Processing that GLP-1 consumers still enjoy indulgent food, “just less of it,” and said companies should lean into smaller, permissibly portioned offerings. She also said consumers want familiar products that “have to deliver more,” with much of the current work amounting to renovation of existing products rather than entirely new formats. (dairyreporter.com) ### Why hasn’t ice cream been cut from the basket? DairyReporter said ice cream remains resilient because GLP-1 users are not simply deleting categories; they are changing how they buy within them. The outlet said smaller portions, indulgence and products marketed as high protein or lower calorie are helping frozen desserts remain relevant. (foodbusinessnews.net) FoodNavigator described the same mix of indulgence, portion control and functional benefits. The Institute of Food Technologists’ Food Technology magazine said three weeks ago that GLP-1 users may be choosing smaller portions and healthier options without abandoning favorite products, again citing Mintel’s finding that about 90% of them purchase ice cream. (dairyprocessing.com) That framing matches the trade-press view that the shift is happening inside the category rather than through a clean exit from it. ### What are food companies changing? DairyReporter said brands in Europe and the United States are adapting with smaller formats and “better-for-you” positioning. FoodNavigator said the category offers lessons for the wider industry in portion control, functionality and innovation, tying ice cream’s resilience to reformulation rather than to unchanged eating habits. (dairyreporter.com) FTI Consulting wrote last month that GLP-1 users are buying substantially lower volumes of products including ice cream, candy and soft drinks, while spending on those categories can remain comparatively firm after starting treatment. FTI said that pattern suggests premiumization in consumption, an interpretation that helps explain why ice cream can keep buyers even if servings get smaller. (ift.org) ### How broad is the GLP-1 consumer shift? PwC said last month that about 21% of U.S. households included a current GLP-1 user as of May 2026, up from 9% in January 2025, based on its analysis of Numerator data. Gallup also reported last month that Americans’ use of GLP-1 injectables for weight loss had nearly quadrupled since 2024. (dairyreporter.com) Those adoption figures help explain why food manufacturers and category analysts are watching even small changes in basket behavior. As of August 5, the freshest published ice-cream readouts from DairyReporter and FoodNavigator both pointed to the same near-term response from brands: smaller portions, higher protein and lower-calorie positioning aimed at GLP-1 users who still want dessert. (fticonsulting.com) (dairyreporter.com) (pwc.com)