Online supermarket giant Ocado has become the latest major UK retailer to introduce a specialised food range aimed at customers using weight loss injections, following similar moves by Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Morrisons.
A New Aisle for Changing Appetites
The new 'weight management' aisle on Ocado's website features products designed for shoppers with reduced appetites due to medications like Wegovy and Ozempic. A key example is a 'small steak' offering a smaller portion size. The range incorporates items from Marks & Spencer's recently launched 'nutrient dense' line, which aims to pack maximum nutrition into smaller servings.
Available products include high-protein cottage cheese, two-ingredient beef burgers, and Romesco chicken meals. The selection also features convenient options like Huel's ready-to-drink shakes, and prepared meals such as chicken teriyaki and turkey lentil Bolognese.
Nutrition Remains 'Crucial' Amid Medication Use
Charlie Parker, the senior nutritionist at Ocado Retail, emphasised the importance of maintaining a focus on diet. "As weight loss medications become more widely used, it’s crucial that diet and nutrition remain part of the conversation," she stated.
Parker explained the shift in customer demand, noting: "We’re seeing customers actively seek out high-protein, high-fibre foods and balanced meal options to support healthier weight loss journeys and with reduced appetites."
Research Highlights Need for Long-Term Strategy
This retail trend emerges against the backdrop of significant new research. A landmark study indicates that people who stop taking GLP-1 agonist weight loss jabs can regain all the weight originally lost in under two years, which is faster than those on other weight loss plans.
These medications, originally developed for diabetes, work by mimicking a gut hormone that helps people feel full. Commenting on the research, Dr Sam West from the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, provided critical insight.
"These medicines are transforming obesity treatment and can achieve important weight loss. However, our research shows that people tend to regain weight rapidly after stopping – faster than we see with behavioural programmes," Dr West said.
He clarified that this "isn’t a failing of the medicines" but rather reflects the chronic nature of obesity. His conclusion sounds a note of caution: "It highlights the importance of a more comprehensive approach to long-term weight management, and underlines the value of primary prevention."
