Ozempic is changing the foods Americans buy • Hacker News Board

Re: Ozempic is changing the foods Americans buy

#561

Post by warkdarrior » Mon, Jan 12, 2026, 8:00 PM UTC

array_key_first wrote: post #541

mminer237 wrote: post #246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fiber is essentially mass with little to no nutrition in it. So it makes you feel fuller without adding calories, like GLP-1 drugs. I do think there's a strong argument that lack of fiber and protein are huge contributors to the world's obesity problems.

In most developed countries people eat lots of fiber. Like just unbelievable amounts of meat, more than ever before in human history and prehistory.

What are you talking about?? Meat contains no fiber. The primary fiber source is plant-based foods (e.g., vegetables). So modern populations eating lots of meat means they're getting little to no fiber.

Re: Ozempic is changing the foods Americans buy

#562

Post by zoidb » Mon, Jan 12, 2026, 8:07 PM UTC

foobarian wrote: post #296

cookiengineer wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do citizens of the US tolerate this? I'm baffled how messed up the food industry in the US has gotten over the last decades. When I was in the US I remember ordering pancakes in the morning. Those pancakes for like 10 bucks lasted for the whole week because I couldn't stuff so much in my stomach. I also don't understand why everything, literally everything, is fried in oil. Good luck trying to get an actual healt…

That's funny, I feel I had the opposite experience going into EU. Maybe it's regional? Anyway we were eating out a bunch around Slovenia and menus had a lot of "mixed meat" "fried cheese" type foods and servers would look at you funny if you wanted just vegetables. I got the vibe that they felt like they were letting you down if they didn't offer you their best meat so maybe it's a cultural leftover from hungrier tim…

It's more typical of that country and especially the balkans.

Re: Ozempic is changing the foods Americans buy

#563

Post by jacobthesnakob » Mon, Jan 12, 2026, 8:12 PM UTC

542354234235 wrote: post #539

jacobthesnakob wrote: post #390

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>It improves quality of life, health, reduces risk when surgery is needed, And as pointed out elsewhere in this thread, needs to be taken forever as the vast majority of patients regain most or all of the weight they lose after taking GLP-1s. >Why create a new account just to litigate how statistically relevant the grandparent comment's anecdote is? Red herring. My account was not created today, I’ve participated in…

Why is it that people can't seem to grasp that the brain is just as biological as the kidney or pancreas? If your pancreas isn't producing the right chemicals in the right quantities at the right times for normal healthy functioning, of course we need to treat that. But if the brain isn't producing the right chemicals in the right quantities at the right times for normal healthy functioning, then obviously its willpo…

> Why is it that people can't seem to grasp

I imagine the perceived gap here is that “those” people understand thermodynamics and the failure to grasp is entirely in your hands.

Re: Ozempic is changing the foods Americans buy

#564

Post by mgraczyk » Mon, Jan 12, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC

carlmr wrote: post #6

>The share of U.S. households reporting at least one user rose from about 11% in late 2023 to more than 16% by mid-2024. I was wondering how you could get such a high impact overall. But it seems one in 6 households are on GLP-1 drugs in the US. In my friend circle in Germany I don't even know one single person on this stuff. It's insane to me that so many people need these to get off the processed foods killing them…

Over 50% of the German population is overweight, and over 20% is obese

I think many Germans will start using these drugs once they become cheaper

Re: Ozempic is changing the foods Americans buy

#565

Post by fhdkweig » Mon, Jan 12, 2026, 8:24 PM UTC

rootusrootus wrote: post #505

fhdkweig wrote: post #387

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends on what you call a vegetable. In the US, corn, potatoes, and ketchup are considered vegetables. You need to make a distinction between leafy greens and starch.

Well, corn and potatoes are indeed vegetables, so there's that. And I think the only person who ever said ketchup was a vegetable with a straight face was Ronald Reagan 40 or 45 years ago.

"Eat your vegetables. They're good for you." shouldn't mean dipping your fries in ketchup. But that is what happens if you call corn and potatoes as vegetables.

Re: Ozempic is changing the foods Americans buy

#566

Post by WorldMaker » Mon, Jan 12, 2026, 8:25 PM UTC

CGMthrowaway wrote: post #258

davidmurdoch wrote: post #249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meanwhile, YUM foods is probably working overtime trying to find a way to work around the effects of GLP-1.

I saw a Taco Bell ad for new "luxury" meal boxes. So perhaps their solution is to move up-market and high-margin

Demolition Man said Taco Bell would be fine dining by 2032, they might be on schedule. (It also said they'd be just about the last restaurant left, though.)

Re: Ozempic is changing the foods Americans buy

#567

Post by brianpbeau » Mon, Jan 12, 2026, 8:28 PM UTC

lm28469 wrote: post #394

gtr wrote: post #340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have done that multiple times in the past but there came a point where I couldn't "white knuckle" my diet any more. GLP-1 has really helped a much better quality of life - lower cravings for food and alcohol, meaning that I am losing weight and feeling cheerful instead of gritting my teeth. Why is that so bad?

What's your plan? pills for life? Life is tough, fighting cravings is on the easier side of what life's going to throw at us

Yes. What's wrong with that? There are large portions of the population that already do that for other health related issues.

Re: Ozempic is changing the foods Americans buy

#568

Post by nicbou » Mon, Jan 12, 2026, 8:30 PM UTC

nvarsj wrote: post #205

carlmr wrote: post #6

>The share of U.S. households reporting at least one user rose from about 11% in late 2023 to more than 16% by mid-2024. I was wondering how you could get such a high impact overall. But it seems one in 6 households are on GLP-1 drugs in the US. In my friend circle in Germany I don't even know one single person on this stuff. It's insane to me that so many people need these to get off the processed foods killing them…

Why is it insane? You sound like someone who says to depressed people “just be happy”. I’m on tirzepatide but not for obesity. It completely cures my life long IBS. These are miracle drugs imo and should be as cheap and widely available as possible.

When talking about ADHD medication, a doctor asked me why someone would choose not to wear glasses if they could see well with them.

There are some flaws with this argument, but I keep it in mind when I feel like others are "cheating" by getting a good trait that I was born with. We should not insist on people getting things the hard way.

Re: Ozempic is changing the foods Americans buy

#569

Post by rightbyte » Mon, Jan 12, 2026, 8:51 PM UTC

array_key_first wrote: post #529

s1artibartfast wrote: post #327

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is narrative ignores consumer preference. A salad can be delivered as easily as a pizza.

Consumer preference is a scapegoat. You can also make nicotine-free cigarettes, and people have tried, but they just don't sell. Of course consumers prefer the stuff that feels better. They have to.

Sugar free soda?

Re: Ozempic is changing the foods Americans buy

#570

Post by wasabi991011 » Mon, Jan 12, 2026, 9:02 PM UTC

zahlman wrote: post #540

mrmuagi wrote: post #500

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are spending a fraction of $350/mo on food? I'm actually interested in learning more...

About $6/day, Canadian. Only for myself. Not counting energy costs. The core of it is the stuff you'd expect, at least if you remember older stereotypes of the diets of the poor. But it doesn't have to be just the things that would drive you mad. There's room for quite a bit of variety, really. In fact, there's room to eat out sometimes at my current price level. I buy a lot of dry food (naturally dry or dehydrated i…

Thanks for sharing, this is useful advice for a fellow Canadian. If you don't mind me asking follow-ups:

Can I hear more about the frozen meat? I usually go for chicken thighs or pork (almost always one is on sale), it's about 8-9cad/kg. What's your cuts of frozen meat, and price point?

Also, no frozen nor canned veggies in your budget?

And finally, can you describe your typical breakfasts, lunchs, and suppers? You say it's "what you'd expect", but I grew up affluent and only recently going through a budget crunch so I don't really have any reference for what to expect.

Cheers.