One in 10 women aged 35-54 are using the drugs, while usage peaks among 25- to 44-year-olds at 13%, says Tamara Sender Ceron, who heads up fashion retail at the market research company Mintel.
All the research so far, also from the market research firm Circana, shows that those on the drugs eat less, switch to healthier foods and cut their alcohol intake.
They buy more clothes than before, as well as skincare and hair products, sportsgear, games and toys, plus gadgets to monitor their progress and health.
The Transition from Injections to Pills
Uptake in Britain is expected to rise further with the arrival this week of GLP-1s in pill form, with UK pharmacies preparing for a rise in requests for the once-a-day Wegovy tablet – now only available on private prescription.
It was the first pill version of a GLP-1 medication when it launched in the US in early January and has so far proved very popular.
Eli Lilly launched a rival tablet called Foundayo (orforglipron) in the US in early April. Both are cheaper than injected weight loss medications.
“This is a whole new set of people that … weren’t using any weight loss drugs, and now they’re comfortable with that,” says Dr Craig Primack, from the US telehealth company Hims & Hers.
Prices for the Wegovy pill at UK online pharmacies range between £69 for a month’s supply of the 1.5mg starting dose, to £269 for the 25mg top dose.
The equivalent jab costs between £79 and £250 for a month’s supply, while Mounjaro costs between £54 and £300 a month.
