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Will weight loss drugs kill the fast food business?

Many firms see the dire forecasts as ‘overblown’ but they know they will have to adapt products to make ‘every bite counts’

On a drizzly morning Luton’s takeaways are preparing for the lunchtime rush. McDonald’s is busy with shoppers, while chains from Subway to German Doner Kebab are opening their doors for the approaching army of hungry stomachs.

The Bedfordshire town is one of the UK’s worst spots for obesity, with one hospital admission linked to weight for every 20 residents in 2022. That toll is more than 10 times the rate in Bracknell Forest, Berkshire, according to NHS data.

The local council is testing ways to tackle the problem: blocking takeaways from opening near schools, banning adverts for unhealthy foods from council-run hoardings, giving families advice on health and nutrition, and trying to encourage walking and cycling.

But a new weapon could soon be in the armoury – one that could have big implications for the food industry and the battle against obesity. Weight loss drugs, such as Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic for diabetes, are already available on the NHS, and Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug Mounjaro, which has been approved for weight loss and, sold as Zepbound, is expected to be available in the UK soon.

The drugs have been lauded by celebrities and the super rich who boast about buying the jabs to keep their waists in trim. The Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s value has swollen so much amid the weight loss drug boom that it is dominating, and even distorting, Denmark’s economy. But could they really help towns such as Luton become healthier – and what will that mean for the food industry?

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