‘Big Food’ brand Nestle has pivoted to selling collagen and protein powders to counter the side effects of weight-loss drugs after a slump in snack sales.
Despite their undeniable slimming effects, injections of GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have been linked to a range of side effects, including muscle loss, hair loss and ‘Ozempic face’.
The maker of KitKat, Yorkie bars and ice cream brand Haagen-Daz predicts that patients taking GLP-1 drugs will avoid chocolate bars in favor of meals that are nutritious and not too filling.
In response, the Swiss food giant this week launched the GLP-1Nutrition website, designed for consumers taking weight-loss injections, selling them vitamins, collagen and protein powder for as much as $59.92 (£47.21).
Nestle also plans to start selling its “Vital Pursuits” food line this year, which includes 12 portion-controlled frozen meals rich in protein and fiber, Bloomberg reports.
Nestle this week launched a website GLP-1Nutrition, designed for consumers who take weight-loss injections and sell them vitamins and protein powder
The new GLP-1Nutrition website shows round models and sells the ideas that Nestle’s products will help ‘nourish your gut’ and help you ‘lose fat, not muscle’
Nestle’s new products include a hair growth supplement, strawberry lemonade flavored electrolyte tablets, plus collagen peptides to increase skin elasticity
The website features curvy models and sells the idea that Nestle’s products will help ‘nourish your gut’ and help you ‘lose fat, not muscle’.
It’s not just fat patients who use drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic that lose weight, you can also lose muscle mass.
This is because the slimming injections do not specifically target fat, but cause weight loss by influencing the appetite.
As a result, patients can also lose muscle mass by not eating as much protein, the building block of muscle, as they did before taking the drug.
Fat also falls off the face, not just the stomach, giving many people a thin look, also known as “Ozempic face.”
Because the fat in our faces gives us smooth, plump cheeks and wrinkle-free foreheads, losing it quickly can quickly make people look much older.
Semaglutide, as well as the rival drugs liraglutide and tirzepatide, are being hailed as monumental breakthroughs in the war on obesity. But a spike in demand for these jabs, fueled by celebrity endorsements, has also sent global stock prices low
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Several patients have reported hair loss while taking semaglutide, experiencing their hair thinning to a surprising extent or even falling out in clumps.
Original clinical trials of Wegovy discovered this effect in those taking the drug.
Hair loss reportedly affected 3 percent of those taking the drug, compared to just 1 percent in the placebo group of the study.
Balding or hair thinning is not listed as an official side effect of semaglutide medications, partly because it has been rarely reported in studies and is not serious from a medical emergency perspective.
But eating less can lead to a lack of nutrition. This side effect, combined with hair loss and the gaunt appearance of the ‘Ozempic face’, will be countered by Nestle’s new products.
These new weight loss-friendly products include a hair growth supplement, strawberry lemonade flavored electrolyte tablets, plus collagen peptides to increase skin elasticity.
The maker of Smarties wants to help its customers maintain lean muscle mass, manage digestive problems and ensure adequate daily micronutrient consumption, Anna Mohl, CEO of Nestle Health Science, told Bloomberg.
Nestle isn’t the only company switching to selling GLP-1 friendly products; healthcare company Abbott also offers nutritional shakes to weight-loss treatment customers.