One extremely popular weight loss drug is sweeping the country, with Canadians on track for a slimmer lifestyle, as over 8.2 million of them say they have or are thinking of taking the drug. Ever since GLP-1s, drugs known for managing blood glucose levels and helping people lose weight, were introduced to the market, they have been used or considered by a significant portion of the Canadian population.Of the 8.2 million who have used or considered using them, 3 million say they are currently using the drug, while 1.5 million have previously used tem.This is according to a recent survey conducted by Caddle Surveys on behalf of the University of Dalhousie's Agri-Food Analytics Lab which is run by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, an agri-food professor, who posted the results on his X..This is not all — 3.7 million Canadians say they are thinking of taking the drug for whatever reason, be it diabetes or weight loss, or both.Even more astounding, this is a very recent trend in the uptake of the drug — since 3 million users said they began taking the drug in the last year.Of the 4.5 million users past and present, 3.3 million said they've had a positive experience on the drug, with less than half, 1.1 million, reporting side effects or challenges.These numbers have a larger impact on the food market than one might first think.Since GLP-1s contribute to weight loss in part by reducing satiety signals in the brain and consequentially, reducing hunger, this comes with a lessening of food consumption, which a trend toward Canadians buying less of particular foods..From statistics taken from 1,000 GLP-1 households, almost half, 455 households, are eating less food than they did prior to using the drug, while 216 were eating out less, and 167 buying fewer groceries.Sweet baked goods, topped the list for the products being bought less frequently, with 307 households buying less of these products.Second, 304 households bought less candy and sweets, 297 bought less packaged cookies, 288 bought less soft drinks and juices, and 265 bought less chocolate.In reaction to the massive number of Canadians who have used or considered using GLP-1s, Charlebois states, "Canada is truly becoming an 'Ozempic Nation.'" .Charlebois is referring to one GLP-1 brand in particular, which has become quite famous, Ozempic, an injectable version of the drug.As Stanford Medicine describes it, GLP-1 is actually a hormone your body already produces, whenever you eat, functioning by signaling to your brain, organs and overall digestive system you're full.Though, in people who are either obese or have Type 2 diabetes, this system is often dysregulated, becoming more difficult for the body to manage appetite and blood sugar with the amount of naturally produced hormone, making it clear why an artificial version of the hormone is helpful to satiate hunger cues and regulate blood sugar.
