GLP-1 medications are all the rage for weight loss as we enter the new year. And their ability to help folks loose weight without conscious effort is enticing. But do we need to identify foods that can bolster GLP-1 meds’ effects?
Conagra obviously thinks so. It’s labelling more than 2 dozen of its retail frozen food products ‘GLP-1 Friendly’. And, as a marketing ‘tool’, it seems logical to assume other manufacturers will follow suit.
What’s going on?
GLP-1 receptor antagonist users now make up a reported 12% of the US population. Now, one major frozen food brand is marketing specifically toward GLP-1 receptor antagonist users. Conagra Brands recently announced a plan to add GLP-1 Friendly ‘badges’ to 26 of its frozen entrée products. The so-called ‘On Track’ over-labels are meant to suggest that the products are high in protein, low-Calorie, and a good source of fiber, making them ‘GLP-1 friendly’. However…
“It’s important to note that these Healthy Choice products weren’t made specifically for GLP-1 users — they’re just being badged as appropriate for GLP-1 users,” says Alexandra Sowa, MD, author of the forthcoming book The Ozempic Revolution.
In fact, there is, as yet, no official industry-wide definition of what makes a product ‘GLP-1 Friendly’. The issue remains, “up for debate, [and] there are limited guidelines on what that actually means,” Sowa stresses.
Experts ‘cautiously optimistic’
Doctors and nutrition professionals are cautiously positive toward the Conagra labelling initiative.
Mir Ali, Medical Director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, says, “No matter what people do to lose weight – whether it’s through medi-cations, surgery, or being mindful of their diet and exercise – what they eat is the most important thing,” he says. “If there’s a way to help people figure it out, I’m all for it.”
Registered Dietician Jessica Cording, a nutritionist and the author of The Little Book of Game-Changers, calls the Conagra labelling program, “fascinating from a marketing standpoint.”
My take
My question to all involved is… Is this kind of ‘Friendly’ labelling a trend or just a fad? I can see all manner of opportunities to use the approach across the food, supplement and other sectors. But…
Though not explicitly harmful, is it potentially deceptive or misleading in any way? As such, does it constitute an issue that should be addressed without further lay by the industry? Maybe even the food and drug regulators?
We’ll have to wait and see what the players do next…
~ Maggie J.