The Appetite Revolution: How GLP-1 Drugs are Reshaping Food, Health - and the Future of Consumption

GLP-1 drugs, once developed for diabetes, have rapidly become cultural and economic disruptors, transforming bodies, behaviors, and billion-dollar industries. In the U.S. alone, millions are already on these treatments, curbing appetites not just for calories, but for snacks, alcohol, and fast food. Snack sales are slumping, restaurant chains are rethinking menus, and some of the world’s largest food and beverage companies are under pressure to adapt. The health upsides—weight loss, reduced cardiovascular risk, and lower diabetes incidence—are striking. Yet the long-term risks, costs, and cultural ripple effects remain uncertain. As medicine rewires metabolism itself, are we ready for the economic, ethical, and societal aftershocks of an appetite-suppressed future?