Game Day Matchup: Super Bowl vs. GLP-1s

Monica Watrous Feb. 7, 2025 at 4:14 PM

Will the rising adoption of weight loss drugs dent snack sales on Super Bowl Sunday? According to survey data, chances are slim.

Retail insights firm Upside polled Americans and found that people with weight loss goals are still likely to indulge on game day as much as – if not more than – anyone else. The firm also analyzed transactions to identify consumer spending trends related to Super Bowl snacking.

Of those surveyed, 41% said they want to lose weight, and 13% indicated they have used or currently use GLP-1 class medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro for weight loss or diabetes management. But here’s the fake handoff: the poll showed that football fans using GLP-1 drugs are nearly twice as likely as non-users to host a Super Bowl party and plan to chow down on pizza and wings, according to the survey results.

Bottom line: Dieters tend to view the occasion as a “cheat day.”

That means legacy snack brands are still winning on Super Bowl Sunday. Ahead of last year’s big game, sales of beer, soft drinks, salsa and dips and salty snacks soared, according to Upside, which tracked massive volume increases for Tostitos Scoops (up 991% compared to the rest of the year), Doritos Nacho Cheese (up 488%) and Velveeta Block Cheese (3,276%).

However, weight loss may still be front-and-center for Super Bowl viewers. Among ads for beer, soda, candy and snacks, a 60-second spot promoting off-brand Ozempic from digital healthcare company Hims & Hers is slated to air. An executive of the company told Forbes the intent behind the commercial is to raise awareness to “the obesity public health crisis” in America.

And viewers may be more receptive to such a message than in prior years, suggested AdAge, citing a Harris Poll that found that 34% of consumers – and 44% of 18- to 34-year-olds – agree health and wellness brands should advertise during the Super Bowl.

Recall last year’s Super Bowl spot for Poppi proclaiming “a soda with none of the bad stuff” is the “next chapter in the story of soda.” (It was the most watched ad of the game, reaching 29.1 million households). This year Poppi will be back, along with Liquid Death, another better-for-you drink option.