Top: Photo by Nora Goldstein

ReFED, the national nonprofit working to end food loss and waste across the food system, released its “2025 Food Waste Forecast” in early January. Among the trends to watch this year are the rising influence of GLP-1 medications. Notes ReFED, “One in eight U.S. adults have reported taking a GLP-1, a class of medications used to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity. The medications have been shown to change eating habits — impacting what, and how much, consumers buy. These drugs have broad implications for the food industry — potentially forcing companies to reposition or reformulate certain products, including by offering more options for portion sizes. They also may have an impact on food waste. Research from Ohio State found that among a survey of GLP-1 users, 25% of respondents agreed they had wasted more food since taking the drugs. Interestingly, the same study found that as GLP-1 users shifted to eating more vegetables on their diminished appetites, they were less likely to agree that they wasted more food. …. Be sure to keep an eye out for ReFED analysis on this subject over the coming months.”