Ozempic users are eating fewer calories and, as a result, buying smaller sizes to suit their slimmer bodies and, in some cases, choosing more revealing fashion styles.
Some clothing brands have noticed that customers are buying new clothing sizes several sizes smaller, and they believe this is because they are taking Ozempic and similar GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and losing weight. Said Drug popularity leads shoppers to buy “less food,” says Nestle Food Line For GLP-1 weight loss drug users only.
Analysts who study the impact of weight-loss drugs on consumer behavior say Americans’ growing adoption of the drugs won’t have a significant impact on any area of consumption, from food and beverages to travel and leisure.
“It’s already impacting demand in some areas and will impact others. As millions of people enter this new pharmaceutical world, one wonders what it won’t impact,” Lee O’Donnell, vice president of shopping insights at market research firm Kantar, told CBS MoneyWatch.
Customers are downsizing
Brian Davis, founder of Teddy Stratford, a New York City-based manufacturer of fitted dress and casual shirts for men, said that in recent months, many of his longtime customers suddenly started ordering shirts two sizes smaller than usual, which prompted him to wonder what was causing the change.
“Because we’re an e-commerce company, we have visibility into each customer’s individual purchasing history, and we monitor for fraud to reduce returns and exchanges,” Davis told CBS MoneyWatch. “We’ve seen many customers order one or two sizes smaller than they were previously. When we reach out to confirm if the new sizing is intentional, we always confirm that it is.”
Of course, Davis can’t be sure that weight-loss drugs are driving this trend, since the company doesn’t survey its customers about their drug use. But he thinks an increase in GLP-1 is behind the trend. “We didn’t know why this was happening, but it makes perfect sense. Our customers are generally high-income earners and can certainly afford Ozempic,” he said.
About one-third of people who use weight-loss drugs investigated Women taking the drug are buying new clothes more frequently than they were before they started taking it, said Nikki Zink, vice president of industry analysis at Morning Consult.
“It’s no surprise that people are looking to buy smaller sizes and new styles of clothing,” Zink told CBS MoneyWatch.
Fabric that fits the hips
While Americans have gravitated toward comfortable, loose-fitting and sometimes figure-hiding clothing like sweatpants during the COVID-19 pandemic, O’Donnell of market research firm Kantar said that as a rule of thumb, more consumers are now gravitating toward stretchy, form-fitting fabrics and styles like bodycon dresses that show off every curve of the wearer.
“There’s body positivity built into these jeans – it’s like, let’s look at all body types. Also, compared to the heavy cotton blue jeans I bought 10 years ago, these jeans are more flexible and you had to be a good fit to wear them,” she said.
Eating out less, exercising more
A Morning Consult survey of more than 4,400 U.S. adults conducted in November 2023 also found that 38% of GLP-1 users said they’ve increased their exercise frequency since starting the drug. This could be a boon for the fitness industry if more Americans invest in gym memberships, exercise classes, or home equipment in the coming years.
At the same time, people are increasingly cooking at home rather than eating out at restaurants, perhaps because doing so gives them more control over the ingredients and portions they eat.
Morgan Stanley research analysts also found that survey respondents said they were more physically active after starting anti-obesity drugs: The percentage of respondents who said they exercised once a week doubled from 35% before taking the drugs to 71% after.
In a research note, Morgan Stanley equity research analyst Brian Haber explained the relationship between drugs and exercise: “As patients lose weight, they may simply be more motivated, both physically and mentally, to exercise, doubling the effectiveness of their weight-loss drugs.”
