Ozempic is changing the way people eat. Snack companies are paying close attention | Canada News Media
Connect with us

Business

Ozempic is changing the way people eat. Snack companies are paying close attention

Published

4 months ago

 on

Raegan Sather says her appetite has completely changed — and so has her approach to grocery shopping — since she started taking the diabetes drug Ozempic for weight loss two years ago.

Sather, a marketing professional in Edmonton, buys fresh produce, fresh meat and high-protein foods to supplement the popular medication. But the biggest change is that she now skips right past the snack aisle.

The drug “completely eliminated any snacking,” said Sather — doing away with her previous evening habit of eating popcorn, for instance. “I had dinner and that was it.”

With a growing number of North American adults using Ozempic and other popular, injectable drugs like Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound for weight loss, food companies are carefully watching to see how the craze is impacting their bottom line — and cooking up ways to market their products toward people on those medications.

Nestle has launched a line of prepared meals aimed at patients taking GLP-1 drugs (the drug class to which Ozempic and Wegovy belong), while executives at yogurt company Danone and beverage giant Coca-Cola have touted high-protein, low-sugar products, also to appeal to GLP-1 users.

Whether the strategy will work is another story. Even if you’re using a weight-loss drug, “it’s still up to you on how you are going to manage your dietary responses,” said Sather.

Nestle is launching a line of products in the U.S. that it says are meant to be a ‘companion’ for people taking such medication or otherwise trying to manage their weight. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

Between 900,000 and 1.4 million Canadians are currently using a GLP-1 drug, according to a December survey from Dalhousie University. The survey had a total of 8,662 respondents, with a margin of error of 1.84 per cent.

Meanwhile, a Gallup research poll found that 15.5 million American adults had used injectable weight-loss drugs while another report anticipated that nine per cent of American adults will be taking a GLP-1 drug by 2030.

Ozempic was developed to treat diabetes, but became popular for its weight-loss effects.

LISTEN | This doctor helped create Ozempic. He has concerns: 

The Current16:26Ozempic’s possibilities — and the unintended consequences

Dr. Daniel Drucker’s research helped create the diabetes drug Ozempic, a medication that has become popular because of its off-label use for weight loss. He speaks with host Matt Galloway about the drug’s future and concerns about its popularity in celebrity culture.

Changing consumer habits

There’s always a core 15 to 20 per cent of the population that will jump on a new diet craze, says Robert Carter, a food industry analyst and managing partner at Stratton-Hunter Group.

Food companies like Nestle and Coca-Cola are “always in tune with how these different changes are affecting consumer purchase habits overall,” he said. But this is no South Beach or Atkins diet.

“These drugs really suppress appetite [and] food cravings. So this is resulting in an overall decrease in food consumption,” he said.

Raegan Sather, a marketing professional in Edmonton, says her approach to grocery shopping has changed drastically since she started taking Ozempic two years ago. (Samuel Martin/CBC)

The Ozempic craze also ties into the broader health and wellness trend that’s been underway in the food industry for the last several years. Companies were already moving toward those products, but the drugs have accelerated it, Carter says.

As for whether companies need to be concerned, Carter says it’s unlikely. “I think it’s just a continued evolution of the consumer purchase behaviour as it relates to food.”

Ozempic for weight loss: What’s known about the potential and the risks

 

Questions are swirling around the use of semaglutide, commonly sold under the brand name Ozempic, for weight loss. CBC’s Christine Birak explores the risks and benefits of off-label uses of the drug, which is traditionally used to treat Type 2 diabetes.

No replacement for home cooking

Nestle, for example, says the product line it’s launching in the U.S. is meant to be a “companion” for people taking GLP-1 medication or otherwise trying to manage their weight.

The menu includes pizzas, sandwich melts and high-protein pasta bowls, each for $5 US.

But Toronto-based registered dietitian Abby Langer says she can already hear the backlash — that ultra-processed foods can lead to weight gain in the first place, and that packaging more ultra-processed food as Ozempic-friendly is counterproductive.

People taking such drugs might also be missing out on protein, fibre and important micronutrients because they’re consuming less food overall, she told CBC News.

“I do think that people should have some sort of choice when it comes to meal preparation. Having these meals in a pinch could be a good thing,” said Langer, but she always recommends cooking fresh meals at home for weight loss.

Sather, the Ozempic user, says healthy eating will always factor into the drug’s effectiveness.

 “This is not a magic drug,” she said. “It’s still just a tool and you still have to make the right decisions in order for it to work properly.”

Coca-Cola beverages are placed on a shelf in a store in New Delhi, India, on July 29, 2012. Executives at the beverage giant and at yogurt company Danone have touted low-sugar and high-protein products to appeal to users of Ozempic and similar drugs. (Sanjit Das/Bloomberg)

 

Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Business

What Difference Will You Make to an Employer?

Published

15 mins ago

 on

October 21, 2024

By

Ex-Employer (Job)

It’s common knowledge that companies don’t hire the most qualified candidates. Employers hire the person they believe will deliver the best value in exchange for their payroll cost.

Since most job seekers know the above, I’m surprised that so few mention their Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Most job seekers list their education, skills, and experience without substantiating them and expect employers to determine whether they can benefit their company; hence, most resumes and LinkedIn profiles are just a list of opinions—borderline platitudes—that are meaningless and, therefore, have no value. Job seekers need to better explain, along with providing evidence, how they’ll contribute to an employer’s success.

Employers don’t hire opinions (read: talk is cheap); they hire results.

You’re not offering anything tangible when you claim:

 

  • I’m a great communicator.
  • I’m detail oriented.
  • I’m a team player.

 

Tangible:

 

  • “At Global Dynamics, I held quarterly town hall meetings with my 22 sales reps, highlighting our accomplishments, identifying opportunity areas, and recognizing outstanding performers.”
  • “For eight years, I managed Vandelay Industries IT department, overseeing a staff of 18 and a 12-million-dollar budget while coordinating cross-specialty projects. My strong attention to detail is why I never exceeded budget.”
  • “While working at Cyberdyne Systems, I was part of the customer service team, consisting of nine of us, striving to improve our response time. Through collaboration and sharing of best practices, we reduced our average response time from 48 to 12 business hours, resulting in a 35% improvement in customer feedback ratings.”

 

These examples of tangible answers provide employers with what they most want to hear from candidates but rarely do; what value the candidate will bring to the company. Typically, job seekers present their skills, experience, and unsubstantiated opinions and expect recruiters and employers to figure out their value, which is a lazy practice.

Getting hired isn’t based on “I have an MBA in Marketing and Sales,” “I’ve been a web designer for over 15 years,” “I’m young, beautiful and energetic,” blah, blah, blah. Likewise, being rejected isn’t based on “I’m overqualified,” “I’m too old,” “I don’t have enough education,” blah, blah, blah. Getting hired depends entirely on showing employers that you can add value and substance to their company; that you’ll serve a purpose.

When you articulate a solid value offer, the “blah, blah, blah” doesn’t matter. Job seekers focus too much on the “blah, blah, blah,” and when not hired, they say, “It’s not me, it’s…” The biggest mistake I see job seekers make is focusing on the “blah, blah, blah”—their experience and education—believing this is what interests employers. Hiring managers are more interested in whether you can solve the problems the position exists to solve than in your education and experience.

 

Not impressive: Education

Impressive: A track record of achieving tangible results.

 

You aren’t who you say you are; you are what you do.

 

If you want to be somebody who works hard, you have to actually work hard. If you want to be somebody who goes to the gym, you actually have to go to the gym. If you want to be a good friend, spouse, or colleague, you have to actually be a good friend, spouse, or colleague. Actions build reputations, not words.

The biggest challenge job seekers face today is differentiating themselves. To stand out and be memorable, don’t be like most job seekers, someone who’s all talk and no action. Any recruiter or hiring manager will tell you that the job market is heavily populated with job seekers who talk themselves up, talk a “good game” about everything they can “supposedly” do, drop names, etc., but have nothing to show for it.

More than ever, employers want to hear candidates offer a value proposition summarizing what value they bring. If you’re looking for a low-hanging fruit method to differentiate yourself, do what job seekers hardly ever do and make a hard-to-ignore value proposition.

  1. Increase sales: “Based on my experience managing Regina and Saskatoon for PharmaKorp, I’m confident that I can increase BioGen’s sales by no less than 25% in Winnipeg and the surrounding area by the end of 2025.”
  2. Reduce cost: “During my 12 years as Taco Town’s head of purchasing, I renegotiated contracts with key suppliers, resulting in 15% cost savings, saving the company over $450,000 annually. I know I can do the same for The Pasta House.”
  3. Increase customer satisfaction:“During my time at Globex Corporation, I established a systematic feedback mechanism that enabled customers to share their experiences. This led to targeted improvements, increasing our Net Promoter Score by 15 points. I can increase Dunder Mifflin’s net promoter score.”
  4. Save time: “As Zap Delivery’s dispatcher, I implemented advanced routing software that analyzed traffic patterns, reducing average delivery times by 20%. My implementation of this software at Froggy’s Delivery can reduce your delivery times by at least 20%, if not more.”

 

If you want to achieve job search success as soon as possible, structure your job search with a single thread that’s evident and consistent throughout your résumé, LinkedIn profile, cover letters and especially during interviews; clearly convey what difference you’ll make to the employer.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

Continue Reading

Business

Netflix’s subscriber growth slows as gains from password-sharing crackdown subside

Published

4 days ago

 on

October 17, 2024

By

 

Netflix on Thursday reported that its subscriber growth slowed dramatically during the summer, a sign the huge gains from the video-streaming service’s crackdown on freeloading viewers is tapering off.

The 5.1 million subscribers that Netflix added during the July-September period represented a 42% decline from the total gained during the same time last year. Even so, the company’s revenue and profit rose at a faster pace than analysts had projected, according to FactSet Research.

Netflix ended September with 282.7 million worldwide subscribers — far more than any other streaming service.

The Los Gatos, California, company earned $2.36 billion, or $5.40 per share, a 41% increase from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 15% from a year ago to $9.82 billion. Netflix management predicted the company’s revenue will rise at the same 15% year-over-year pace during the October-December period, slightly than better than analysts have been expecting.

The strong financial performance in the past quarter coupled with the upbeat forecast eclipsed any worries about slowing subscriber growth. Netflix’s stock price surged nearly 4% in extended trading after the numbers came out, building upon a more than 40% increase in the company’s shares so far this year.

The past quarter’s subscriber gains were the lowest posted in any three-month period since the beginning of last year. That drop-off indicates Netflix is shifting to a new phase after reaping the benefits from a ban on the once-rampant practice of sharing account passwords that enabled an estimated 100 million people watch its popular service without paying for it.

The crackdown, triggered by a rare loss of subscribers coming out of the pandemic in 2022, helped Netflix add 57 million subscribers from June 2022 through this June — an average of more than 7 million per quarter, while many of its industry rivals have been struggling as households curbed their discretionary spending.

Netflix’s gains also were propelled by a low-priced version of its service that included commercials for the first time in its history. The company still is only getting a small fraction of its revenue from the 2-year-old advertising push, but Netflix is intensifying its focus on that segment of its business to help boost its profits.

In a letter to shareholder, Netflix reiterated previous cautionary notes about its expansion into advertising, though the low-priced option including commercials has become its fastest growing segment.

“We have much more work to do improving our offering for advertisers, which will be a priority over the next few years,” Netflix management wrote in the letter.

As part of its evolution, Netflix has been increasingly supplementing its lineup of scripted TV series and movies with live programming, such as a Labor Day spectacle featuring renowned glutton Joey Chestnut setting a world record for gorging on hot dogs in a showdown with his longtime nemesis Takeru Kobayashi.

Netflix will be trying to attract more viewer during the current quarter with a Nov. 15 fight pitting former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson against Jake Paul, a YouTube sensation turned boxer, and two National Football League games on Christmas Day.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Business

All Magic Spells (TM) : Top Converting Magic Spell eCommerce Store

Published

4 days ago

 on

October 17, 2024

By

Product Name: All Magic Spells (TM) : Top Converting Magic Spell eCommerce Store

Click here to get All Magic Spells (TM) : Top Converting Magic Spell eCommerce Store at discounted price while it’s still available…

All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors.

All Magic Spells (TM) : Top Converting Magic Spell eCommerce Store is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.

(more…)

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version