GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are changing how we treat diabetes and obesity. But their impact may eventually extend much further because they change appetite. And when medicines change appetite, they inevitably change food consumption and the choices people make about food. New research from International Flavors & Fragrances, presented at the company's Eat Smart Asia: The GLP-1 Shift Knowledge Symposium in New Delhi, suggests exactly that. Among GLP-1 users studied in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, consumers reported substantially smaller portions, altered taste and texture experiences, greater scrutiny of food labels and changes in social eating behaviour. (IFF Press Release, August 25, 2026)
That raises a question the pharmaceutical industry should perhaps be asking itself: If pharma companies are increasingly treating diseases closely connected with metabolism, nutrition and lifestyle, why should their relationship with the consumer end with the medicine—and not extend to what they eat? Could pharmaceutical companies eventually become important direct-to-consumer players in health foods, medical nutrition, functional nutrition and nutraceuticals, with a new commercial opportunity? And is the alliance between Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and Nestlé India an early indication of this direction?
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