Nutrition experts have issued warnings about the growing trend of supermarkets and restaurants selling specially designed ready meals for people using weight-loss injections, arguing these products do not represent a sustainable long-term solution for maintaining weight loss.
The Rise of GLP-1 Friendly Products
Major UK retailers including Ocado, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Greggs and The Co-op have all launched product ranges specifically catering to consumers using GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro. These medications, estimated to be used by as many as 2.5 million adults in Britain, work by mimicking natural hormones that regulate blood sugar, appetite and digestion.
The new ranges feature portion-controlled, nutrient-rich options designed to support people experiencing reduced appetite while on the medications. Ocado's "weight management" collection includes "GLP-1-friendly products" like miniature steak portions and powdered greens supplements, while The Co-op offers "mini meals" in 250g-280g pots inspired by global cuisines.
Short-Term Help Versus Long-Term Habits
Kim Pearson, a registered nutritionist specialising in weight loss, acknowledges that these products might offer temporary assistance. "For some people on weight-loss injections, smaller, nutrient dense ready meals based on whole foods may be helpful in the short term, particularly if appetite is very low and they're tempted to skip meals altogether," she explained.
However, Pearson emphasises that these convenience foods should not be viewed as a permanent solution. "I don't see them as a long term solution or the best way to build healthy eating habits," she stated, adding that sustainable weight management requires developing skills in preparing balanced meals rather than relying on pre-prepared options.
"There's also the risk that once the injections stop and appetite returns, people are left without an understanding of how to eat to maintain their weight loss," Pearson cautioned, highlighting the potential gap in nutritional education that ready meals cannot address.
Concerns About Medicalised Marketing
Nutritionist Rob Hobson expressed additional concerns about the commercialisation of this emerging market segment. He argues that reduced appetite eating should not be treated as a "niche market" since it affects not only weight-loss jab users but also older adults and people living with various illnesses.
Hobson worries that the trend could become "medicalised and claim-driven," potentially leading to an influx of ultra-processed products engineered to meet specific health claims through fortification, texture modification and extended shelf life rather than genuinely supporting long-term wellbeing.
"If GLP-1 ready meals become a defined diet segment, it's very likely that more ultra-processed products will enter the space," Hobson warned, suggesting this development could undermine the opportunity for genuine dietary improvement that weight-loss medications offer.
A Missed Opportunity for Healthier Eating
Both nutritionists agree that GLP-1 medications present a valuable chance for people to reset their relationship with food and establish healthier eating patterns with reduced "food noise" – the constant thoughts about eating that can dominate daily life.
Hobson notes that ready meals could theoretically support this process if they prioritise nutrient density, real ingredients and accessibility. However, he expresses concern that "if this category becomes niche, medicalised and claim-driven then there is a risk of recreating diet culture under a medical name."
"That would be a missed opportunity for both public health and the food industry," Hobson concluded, emphasising the need for approaches that foster genuine nutritional understanding rather than creating dependency on specialised convenience foods.
The debate highlights broader questions about how commercial food industries respond to medical developments, and whether product innovation truly supports long-term health outcomes or merely creates new markets for processed foods under different branding.
