E.U. Market Perspectives on GLP-1 Potential and the Nutrition Industry’s Role

After taking off in the U.S., the global adoption of GLP-1 weight loss therapy has followed, albeit more cautiously. Conversations about nutritional strategies to support weight management have been reignited in key regions such as the U.K., Germany, Denmark, and other areas.

At Vitafoods Europe, market analysts assessed the impact of GLP-1 receptor agonist therapies on the global weight management market.

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Market Impact

Mintel estimated that 22% of Americans are using weight loss drugs, said Sophia Cornelius, RD, senior analyst for specialized nutrition at Mintel.

Interest in these drugs is extremely high in key E.U. markets; 41-42% of Germans between the ages of 18 and 34 said they were interested in using GLP-1 drugs in the future. Actual usage remains low, however. Widespread access to the pill format for GLP-1 RAs could be a game-changer, Cornelius said.

Product Claims

Globally, there’s hesitation about making connotations related to GLP-1 therapy or managing its side effects, as health claims must be applicable to a general population in E.U.-regulated products. More than 60% of products globally that feature a GLP-1 claim on-pack were launched in the U.S., while 18% were launched in the U.K. In markets outside of the U.S., GLP-1 label claims were reserved almost entirely for meal replacements rather than proper supplements, noted Cornelius.

Rather than inviting scrutiny by trying to appeal to GLP-1 users, many products launched are being positioned as natural alternatives for those who are entirely uninterested in using these drugs due to cost, side effects, or discontinuation after reaching a goal weight, Cornelius noted.

“There’s a middle ground for weight loss supplements as a safer, more affordable option for those with issues or a lack of access to these drugs,” said Cornelius. “Right now, the greatest level of interest in weight management supplements comes from those who are already using GLP-1 drugs (49% vs. 9-24% of non-medicated people interested in weight loss), but there could eventually be a cascade effect where these GLP-1 users eventually start to intrigue non-users.”

Even in the U.S., consumers continue to show more interest in nutritional claims, rather than in “GLP-1 friendly” labeling, as weight management products are marketed in a more down-to-earth way. Cornelius said the top claims that resonated with people managing their weight in a late 2025 survey were: high nutrient profiles like high protein or fiber (31%), low-calorie or calorie-controlled (24%), and sugar-free or low-sugar options (24%), while GLP-1 friendly was of interest to just 15% of respondents.  

Satiety

Cornelius noted that one untapped opportunity in this space is defining proteins by biological function, and not just listing quantity per serving. “Specific amino acid claims are only prevalent in a few launches, and there’s an opportunity to market targeted amino acid blends for things like muscle preservation or metabolic health.”

She pointed to Oikos Fusion, a cultured dairy drink featuring a patented blend of whey protein, leucine, and vitamin D to target muscle preservation during weight loss.

Further, protein can better support satiety claims through phased-release systems. Different protein types digest at different rates, and delivery systems can further sustain the release of protein to offer long-term satiety benefits compared to a conventional whey protein. On a similar note, certain viscous fibers like glucomannan can slow the absorption of nutrients and digestion overall, and can be integrated into supplements as well as a wide variety of functional foods.

While “we can’t directly mimic the food matrix, formulations can approximate it with things like encapsulation, fiber carriers, and more, using ranges of different fibers that can be consumed before or with a meal. These products have been around for some time, but have a renewed relevance today,” Cornelius said, pointing to Unicity’s Balance supplement, a blood glucose support drink mix that blends guar gum, locust bean gum, citrus pectin, oat fiber, beta-glucan, plant polysaccharides, and vitamins to support energy and blood sugar control.

Mimicry: Consumer Curiosity Meets Credibility Risk

While dietary supplements that are marketed as being able to mimic the effects of GLP-1 prescription medications do generate curiosity from consumers in certain markets (over half of adults 34 and under in Germany express interest in products that “work in a similar way,” per Mintel’s research), there’s a major credibility risk.

For the category on the whole, “it’s important to manage expectations and avoid misleading consumers, to prevent reputational and regulatory risks,” Cornelius said, noting that leveraging E.U.-authorized health claims attached to certain ingredients can be helpful.

For instance, glucomannan has an E.U.-authorized weight-loss claim but appeared in just 3% of products marketed for weight loss, Cornelius said. “Like GLP-1 medications, many products can target changes in the gut, such as microbiome products that can convert carbs and sugars from meals into gut-healthy fiber.”

Shifting the Conversation

Experts suggested that the nutraceuticals segment should play a larger role in shaping the conversation surrounding the use of GLP-1 medications.

The market is shifting into two distinct categories, one in which diabetic or obese patients use GLP-1 interventions under close medical supervision, and another class of users who are motivated by aesthetics, receiving compounded GLP-1 medications online even if they’re not obese, noted Harry Jarrett, PhD, director of science and research at Heights. “There needs to be a discussion about the focused use of these drugs, in line with public health potential, and who is using these drugs versus who needs to be using them.”

It’s particularly difficult to break through the noise on social media, where most consumers are receiving an onslaught of good and bad information related to weight management, blood sugar, and GLP-1, said Lauren Struszczak, PhD, senior scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. “Scientists and doctors tend to be more boring, and less loud,” relative to some of the less-than-reputable marketing that gains traction online.

“Marketing teams need to be working in line with a science dossier, and know what they can and can’t say regardless of how it might look in an ad,” said Jarrett. As other companies make ludicrous claims, the broader industry needs to ensure scientific communication is robust and rigorous, he said. “People don’t think our products are silver bullets, and that lends us more credibility and trust.”

Filling in the Gaps

According to Jarrett, the nutrition industry should be working hand-in-hand with pharma to develop well-rounded weight loss solutions, and absent this, the health system is failing those taking these drugs. “We shouldn’t try to compete with the pharmacological modulation of GLP-1; we’re never going to win.”

Rather, focus on common-sense nutrient deficiency issues, like fiber, the global prevalence of vitamin deficiencies, and more. “If you’re reducing 40% of your dietary intake on these medications, and your diet was very poor to begin with, its’ going to get even worse, impacting cognition, mental well-being, disease risk, and more.”

Obesity exacerbates the risk of micronutrient deficiency, said Struszczak, and many who take GLP-1 drugs are not receiving comprehensive nutrition counseling. “These meds are associated with loss of lean mass, and we don’t know how much is muscle versus bone. It’s inevitable during weight loss to a certain extent, but it’s at a level where it’s starting to get concerning.”

Further, the nutrition industry isn’t yet providing clear answers for people who discontinue GLP-1 medications, which are indicated for lifelong usage. “The weight comes back on for many after discontinuation, and with it a complete reversal of the cardiovascular benefits, with some rebounding even worse than their starting weight.”

However, it’s difficult to reach GLP-1 medication users in regions like the U.K., due to strict rules around how claims appear on product labels.

Menopausal women over-index on GLP-1 medication usage; their predisposition to bone and muscle loss during this phase of life, layered on top of medication usage, hasn’t been properly evaluated, noted Jarrett, and few nutritional solutions on the market attempt to address this risk factor. “This could become a serious public health concern as new pill formats make this drug so much more accessible.”

“People are using these drugs outside of strict eligibility criteria, they’re micro-dosing with them, and they’re receiving them from illegitimate sources. These drugs have exclusively been tested in people with obesity, diabetes, and other comorbidities, and we don’t know what they do to a healthy population,” noted  Struszczak.