Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Nutrients. 2024 Sep 27;16(19):3274. doi: 10.3390/nu16193274.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (GLP1As) are increasingly prescribed to treat obesity. While studies document how these medications impact dietary habits, their relationship to consumer food waste is unexplored. Approximately one-third of all food is wasted, which creates substantial economic and environmental damage. The purpose of this study is to assess how consumers alter food waste after beginning GLP1As and to identify factors associated with this relationship.
Retrospectively reported changes in the amount of food wasted since beginning a GLP1A are gathered from a sample of 505 U.S. consumers via a self-administered online survey. Regression analysis yields associations between changes in post-GLP1A-uptake food waste and the length and type of medication use, medication side effects, post-uptake changes in dietary habits, and respondent characteristics.
A total of 25% of respondents agree they waste more food since beginning the medication, while 61% disagree. Respondents are significantly less likely to agree with this statement if they have been on the medication a longer time and are significantly more likely to agree if they reported experiencing nausea since beginning the medication. Dietary changes consistent with more vegetable intake are also significantly associated with less waste.
Uptake of a novel class of anti-obesity medications may significantly affect food waste patterns. With the potential for widespread adoption of such medications, and given the societal import of reducing food waste, understanding the interaction of these two consumer trends is critical for projecting their joint impact on the food system and for equipping new GLP1A users to limit food waste.
背景/目的：胰高血糖素样肽-1 激动剂（GLP1As）越来越多地被用于治疗肥胖症。虽然研究记录了这些药物如何影响饮食习惯，但它们与消费者食物浪费的关系尚未得到探索。大约三分之一的食物被浪费，这造成了巨大的经济和环境破坏。本研究的目的是评估消费者在开始使用 GLP1As 后如何改变食物浪费，并确定与这种关系相关的因素。
通过一项自我管理的在线调查，从 505 名美国消费者中收集了自开始使用 GLP1A 以来食物浪费量变化的回顾性报告。回归分析得出了 GLP1A 后食物浪费变化与药物使用时间和类型、药物副作用、饮食习惯变化和受访者特征之间的关联。
共有 25%的受访者同意他们自开始服用药物以来浪费了更多的食物，而 61%的受访者不同意。如果受访者服用药物的时间更长，他们不太可能同意这一说法，如果他们自开始服用药物以来报告有恶心，他们则更有可能同意这一说法。与增加蔬菜摄入量一致的饮食变化也与减少浪费显著相关。
新型抗肥胖药物的使用可能会显著影响食物浪费模式。鉴于这些药物的广泛应用潜力，以及减少食物浪费对社会的重要性，了解这两种消费者趋势的相互作用对于预测它们对食品系统的共同影响以及为新的 GLP1A 用户提供限制食物浪费的方法至关重要。
