GLP-1 weight-loss use tops diabetes, 22% households

FoodNavigator reported on August 5 that GLP-1 use for weight loss in the United States has now moved ahead of use for diabetes management, citing new consumer research. The shift lands as Eli Lilly’s latest quarterly results showed continued demand for its two biggest GLP-1 products, Mounjaro and Zepbound. (circana.com) Circana and PwC data also show the drugs are no longer confined to a narrow patient segment, with roughly one in five U.S. households now including a current user. ### How broad is GLP-1 use now? Circana said nearly a quarter, or 23%, of U.S. households are now using GLP-1s, according to research highlighted on its consumer-insights page. (investor.lilly.com) The market researcher said new patient prescriptions for GLP-1 medications increased by 2.9 million from September 2024 to September 2025, a 16% increase. PwC said on June 22 that 21% of U.S. households now include a current GLP-1 user, up from 9% in January 2025, based on its analysis of Numerator data. PwC also said 54% of users surveyed had been on the drugs for more than a year, up from 38% in 2024. (circana.com) ### Why does the weight-loss side matter more now? FoodNavigator’s August 5 report said use for weight loss has exceeded use for diabetes management for the first time in the U.S., a sign that the category’s center of gravity has shifted beyond its original diabetes base. That change helps explain why food, retail and wellness companies are increasingly treating GLP-1 users as a consumer segment rather than only a patient group. (circana.com) PwC said the spending pattern is already visible in household budgets. Per-household grocery spending is down 5.5% among GLP-1 users, PwC said, as shoppers buy less in snacks, sugary drinks and alcohol and more in fresh produce, protein and supplements. (pwc.com) ### What does that look like in stores and food categories? Circana said food purchases among GLP-1 users are changing across both in-home and out-of-home shopping. The firm said GLP-1 shoppers also over-index on consumer packaged goods purchases versus non-users and create demand for adjacent health-and-wellness products, including fitness trackers, water bottles and workout equipment. (circana.com) PwC said apparel spending rises 9.9% after six to eight months of GLP-1 use, and 73% of users surveyed reported a meaningful change in clothing size. PwC also said 80% of current users and 74% of lapsed users are assembling their own support routines with related products, which it described as an opening for brands to build broader wellness offerings. (pwc.com) ### Which drugmakers are capturing the surge? Eli Lilly said on August 5 that second-quarter 2026 revenue rose 48% to $23.0 billion, driven primarily by volume growth for Mounjaro and Zepbound. The company raised its full-year 2026 revenue guidance to $85 billion to $87 billion. (circana.com) Mounjaro sales rose 91% to $9.94 billion in the quarter, while Zepbound generated $4.93 billion in U.S. revenue, according to Lilly’s results and reports citing them. Those figures have become a proxy for how fast the weight-loss market is expanding beyond diabetes treatment alone. (pwc.com) ### What happens next? Lilly’s investor relations page lists its next earnings call for October 29, 2026, when investors will get another update on Mounjaro, Zepbound and full-year guidance. Circana and PwC have both continued publishing GLP-1 consumer-trend research, which food and retail companies are using to track how those households keep changing what they buy. (investor.lilly.com 1) (investor.lilly.com 2)