Having been on a GLP-1 for about three years, I know first hand the savings on food, drinks, etc that come along with being on it, but I was curious if this has been studied! And it turns out, it has and the findings are interesting!
A study by Cornell looked at how GLP-1 use is changing consumer food demand and five previous studies used verbal reports to show decreased intensity of food cravings as well as a change in the types of foods they crave after GLP-1 analog treatment [43, 45, 47, 48, 54]. Because GLP-1 medications are known to reduce appetite and cravings, which often leads to reduced food intake (smaller portions, fewer meals/snacks), lower spending on takeout, restaurants, snacks, alcohol and fewer impulse purchases (especially for junk food or drinks), the estimates below are based on common lifestyle changes people report.
There are also components like improved health outcomes that lead to fewer medical costs. Of course, exact amounts vary depending on personal habits and local costs, but this provides a framework you can adjust to your own spending.
Typical Pre-GLP1 Spend: $120 (≈$4/day, 30 days) | Estimated Reduction:↓ 50% | Potential Savings: $60 Impulse Buys (Snacks, but also anything dopamine driven) - (80% Savings Per GLP-1 User)
GLP-1s blunt the "hedonic hunger" or reward drive, so there are less cravings for snacks when on the go or in that 3 - 4 pm hour when you’re at work and typically “need a snack.” This also can apply to other dopamine seeking purchases as looked at in this Irish study and this European study.
Potential savings explanation: Many report reduced cravings or tolerance
Typical Pre-GLP1 Spend: $600 | Estimated Reduction:↓ 33% | Potential Savings: $200 (33% Savings Per GLP-1 User)
Multiple GLP-1 studies show ~18–30% reduction in energy intake. The Cornell/Numerator data suggests about a 6% drop in household grocery spend, but, that's household-wide, not per-person and it doesn’t capture reduced waste, smaller portions, or less frequent snacking, which people often report.
Potential savings explanation: The associated appetite changes cut portions and snacking
Typical Pre-GLP1 Spend: $400 | Estimated Reduction:↓ 62.5% | Potential Savings: $250 (62.5% Savings Per GLP-1 User)
Many GLP-1 users report drastically lower desire to go out to eat — either due to early satiety (taking bigger portions home if they do go out to eat and ordering overall less food), social avoidance (early in weight loss journeys to avoid being in a situation that poses hurdles to weight loss or could impact side effects) and reduced cravings that trigger takeout orders.
Potential savings explanation: Drastically lowers desire to go out to eat
Typical Pre-GLP1 Spend: $250 (average monthly share of long-term costs: meds, doctor visits, complications) | Estimated Reduction:↓ 20% |Potential Savings: $50 per month (20% Savings Per GLP-1 User)
Losing weight, even a modest 5%, can lead to significant annual healthcare cost savings, with greater weight loss resulting in even higher savings. A 5% weight loss can reduce health costs by approximately 7-8%, while a 25% weight loss can lead to savings of 31-34%. Source here.
Potential savings explanation: Weight loss reduces risk of diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, etc. Better post-op success with less complications.
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