When a diabetes drug starts reshaping consumer indulgence
What if one day, you just didn’t feel like reaching for that post-lunch chocolate? Not out of guilt or restraint — you simply didn’t want it. This isn’t a scene from some distant health utopia. It’s already beginning to unfold in urban India, and the unlikely catalyst? A diabetes drug called Ozempic.
Ozempic, along with a new class of medications known as GLP-1s, was originally meant to help people manage Type 2 diabetes. But lately, it’s found fame as a powerful appetite suppressant. People are turning to it for weight loss — and it’s changing more than waistlines.
We first started noticing this shift while tracking social media conversations around indulgence for a client. As we dug deeper, one thing became clear: people weren’t just eating differently — they were feeling differently about food.
What used to bring joy or comfort now sparked… indifference. And that, for brands built on cravings, is no small thing.
The Tipping Point of Appetite
India’s metros are at a tipping point. With 30-50% obesity rates (Dr. Anoop Misra, 2024) and 43% of adults overweight (WHO, 2024), we’re not just talking about health management anymore — we’re staring at a cultural pivot in consumption.
Ozempic suppresses cravings — particularly for sugar-laden snacks. In the US, users report a 20-30% drop in snack consumption. Even if just 1-2% of urban India sees similar behavioral shifts, chocolate sales in top metros could dip by up to 10% — a figure that seems small until it’s scaled across 100 million urban consumers.
A Drug Cheaper Than Dessert
The average annual spend by a middle-class urban household on sweet indulgences is 25,000-212,000. Now imagine a world where generics of Ozempic cost less than 225 a day — cheaper than a coffee or an ice cream scoop. This turns the drug into more than a health fix — it becomes a daily lifestyle trade-off. Sugar doesn’t just lose flavor — it starts losing relevance.
From Craving to Conscious Consumption
This isn’t a flash disruption. It’s a slow burn. But the meaning of indulgence is evolving — and brands need to catch up.
Where snacking once carried guilt, the absence of craving now brings clarity. The joy of eating is being replaced with the pride of control. And health, for the first time, is being gamified by pharmaceuticals. As creators of indulgence, brands must ask: What happens to my business when desire disappears?
What Smart Brands Will Do Next
The future of indulgence is not denial — it’s redefinition.
- Reengineer formats: Indulgence needs a makeover — think protein-laced treats, functional chocolates, or sweet guilt-free moments.
- Reposition value: Shift narrative from “treat yourself” to “fuel yourself.”
- Recast emotions: If craving dies, curiosity must rise — make health feel fun, not forced.
Why This Matters Now
We’re not here to hype a drug. We’re here to highlight a systemic signal. The rise of GLP-1 s like Ozempic isn’t just a pharma trend — it’s a cate-gory disruptor hiding in plain sight.
Ignore it, and confectionery brands risk being caught flat-foot-ed. Anticipate it, and they lead the next wave of mindful in-dulgence.
Author –
Vani Sharma (Research Analyst) & Kushal Arora (Director – Social Media Intelligence)
References –
Sochovsky, N., & Miles, H. (2023, December). GLP-1:
The weight of speculation. Morgan Stanley Investment Management.
https://www.morganstanley.com/im/publication/insights/articles/article_geoglp1_us.pdf
World Health Organization: WHO. (2024, March 1). Obesity and overweight.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
