By Antoine Abrieux
The rise of GLP-1 receptor agonists has triggered one of the most rapid and consequential shifts in the modern health and nutrition landscape. What began as a treatment for type 2 diabetes has, in under three years, become a mainstream solution for weight loss, with ripple effects reaching far beyond the clinic.
Today, nearly 15 million Americans—around 10% of U.S. adults—are using GLP-1s, and over 50% are clinically eligible. More than 100 related therapies are in development, making this not a passing trend, but a generational change.
“This is the fastest and most significant shift in the food system in over a century. In just a few years, GLP-1s have gone from niche therapeutics to a force shaping the daily lives of millions—and we’re only at the beginning.” –Justin Siegel | Faculty Director, UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food & Health
Hosted at Aggie Square, our two-day Discovery Forum focused on how this tectonic shift is impacting food, behavior, science, product innovation, and systems of care. This event convened leaders across clinical practice, nutrition science, biotech, CPG, regulatory affairs, academia, and innovative startups. What emerged was not just shared curiosity but a clear recognition that the scale and speed of change demands coordinated, cross-sector action. This is a paradigm shift in motion – a call to reimagine how we approach food, science, health, and care in a fundamentally different landscape.
Key Themes & Insights
While reduced “food noise” is a therapeutic goal, it raises important questions. If appetite suppression becomes emotional suppression, what is lost in the process? And can the food system adapt to support not just nutrient needs, but the human experience of eating? GLP-1s are not simply reducing hunger. They are reshaping how individuals experience food – dampening cravings, altering taste, and even dulling emotional responses to eating. This requires us to rethink how we design and position food products for people who may no longer feel hunger in the same way, but still need nourishment, satisfaction, and cultural connection to food. The opportunity isn’t just to create “better-for-you” options – it’s to design foods that meet evolving biological needs and reinforce emotional and cultural value.
“Consumers want their food to be healthy, but they want it to be satisfying, they aren’t willing to compromise.“ –Scott Forsberg | COO, WellVine
In this moment, balancing health with pleasure is not a trade-off – it’s a design requirement.
Preserving lean mass, maintaining micronutrient adequacy, and supporting hydration are critical for GLP-1s users – especially as appetite declines and total food intake decreases. Yet, current healthcare systems remain under-equipped to meet these needs.
“Obesity is a chronic, progressive, relapsing disease […] We’re prescribing powerful therapies without giving people the scaffolding to succeed once they’re on them – or once they come off. That reality demands durability and sustained, personalized support—including nutrition strategies that extend well beyond the point of intervention.” -Dr. Mohamed Ali | MD, Professor and Chief of Foregut of Metabolic and General Surgery, UC Davis Health
If nutrition is fundamental to the effectiveness, and sustainability of GLP-1 treatments, then it must become a formal part of care. That means embedding registered dietitians into care pathways, strengthening nutrition education for providers, and developing interdisciplinary frameworks that integrate nutrition and lifestyle support across all phases of treatment.
– Before initiation, to align expectations and assess baseline nutrient and muscle status.
– During active treatment, to help patients preserve lean mass, manage appetite-related side effects, and meet daily nutritional needs despite lower food intake.
– After discontinuation, when the risk of weight rebound, potential muscle loss, and behavioral regression is highest.
Sustained, personalized nutrition support is essential to convert short-term results into meaningful, long-term improvements in metabolic health.
“To actually have an impact on health outcomes, we need high adherence products.” –Kat Cole | CEO, AG1
Consumers are no longer passive recipients of care, but active participants in shaping their own outcomes. Many individuals using GLP-1s are already adjusting how they engage with treatment – microdosing, cycling on and off, modifying their diets, and building new routines, often without medical supervision. But they’re not alone. A growing number of consumers—whether eligible for these medications or not—are adopting similar products and habits, hoping to tap into the same benefits. This shift reinforces the need for clear, practical, and accessible tools that meet people where they are.
While deep, data-driven personalization holds exciting potential, it remains out of reach for most. Segmented approaches – tailored by treatment stage or user profile – offer a more scalable and realistic starting point. This means simple, phase-appropriate guidance around food protein quality, fiber type and hydration needs delivered in formats that people can understand and apply in daily life.
The goal is not perfection, but relevant, actionable strategies that help individuals sustain progress beyond the prescription.
“Highly personalized is not yet today economically viable at scale […] clustering into groups with data-driven attributes for nutrient needs, for a targeted group is a more practical step toward precision nutrition.” – Kat Cole | CEO, AG1
As more food and supplement companies seek to align with the needs of GLP-1 users, substantiation matters more than ever. Claims around satiety, muscle support, and digestive comfort must be grounded in measurable outcomes, backed by science, and designed to withstand regulatory scrutiny.
“Consumers want outcomes, not hype.” – Irina Adler | Managing Director CG Sawaya
Delivering on these expectations goes beyond claims alone. Functional foods and ingredients hold significant potential – but only if they perform as well – or better – than conventional options while meeting baseline consumer standards for taste and cost. Successful innovation in this space will depend on transparent science, responsible messaging, and cross-sector dialogue – not just to navigate compliance, but to build lasting credibility and trust with both consumers and healthcare professionals.
“Now more than ever, there is a greater request for transparency from consumers […] companies that will make it will be those with rigorous science behind it.” –Kirstie Canene-Adams | Director of Nutrition Ingredion
From engineered proteins and biosensors to functional snacks, upcycled ingredients and digital support tools – innovation across food, biotech, and ingredient platforms is clearly advancing. New solutions are emerging not just in what people eat, but in how they navigate their health: apps with dietitian access, telehealth platforms, wearables, and personalized nutrition engines are all part of this expanding ecosystem. Yet silos between institutions, disciplines, and even stages of innovation continue to slow progress.
“No single player can solve this alone. We need to stop working in parallel and start building systems together.” -Brijesh Krishnaswamay | CCO North America, OFI
Moving from concept to real-world impact will require more than smart business models. It will take intentional collaboration across sectors–including food, biotech, academia, clinical research, and investment.
Future Perspectives & Call to Action
The adoption of GLP-1s and multi-agonists therapies is moving faster than most anticipated – bringing with it new indications, new consumer behaviors, and new system-level challenges. This moment represents more than a medical breakthrough–it marks a broader transformation in how food, health, and care are understood and delivered. With an estimated 15 million Americans already using GLP-1s and more efficacious drugs in development, these therapies are profoundly reshaping eating behavior, product design, and care delivery – redefining the foundations of the food and health ecosystem.
To help carry this momentum forward, we invite leaders across food industry, healthcare, academia, and innovation to:
There is urgency–but also opportunity. This is a chance to rebuild the connections between food, health, and care in a way that centers human experiences not just clinical endpoints.
Event Testimonials
“Thanks for including me in this wonderful event. If even a third of the connections and ideas we discussed at this meeting get across the finish line, it will be amazing.” –Keith Baar, PhD | Professor, UC Davis
“Thank you for including me! This was such a well-organized and enriching experience, and the diversity of contributors organized in such an intentional fashion has really empowered the community to take big, tangible, practical steps. Thank you everyone and especially the whole IIFH team!” –Marie Heffern, PhD | Professor, UC Davis
“Truly an extraordinary event. I hope it marks the beginning of even stronger collaboration between the business community and academia.” –Irina Adler | Managing Director, CG Sawaya
