Between New Year’s resolutions to improve health and rising popularity of anti-obesity drugs, consumers are adopting “hacks” to help regulate their appetite and manage their weight naturally – including seeking nutrient-dense options and ingredients purported to boost metabolic benefits, according to Spate’s trend-tracking data based on Google and TikTok searches.
“Data reveals a mix of curiosity, enthusiasm and concern surrounding weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and other semaglutide-based treatments,” which is supporting many consumers to alter their eating habits to either support their use of the drugs or to mimic their benefits naturally so as to avoid side effects, said Alyssa Williams, food and beverage category insights manager at Spate.
“To naturally support GLP-1 production or feel fuller on fewer calories, individuals are increasingly turning to specific foods, supplements and behaviors,” she explained.
For example, exclusive data from Spate found US Google searches for amino acids are up 66.2% year-over-year and searches for moringa are up 54.4% year-over-year on Google alongside weight loss, Williams said, citing US Search data from Google gathered from December 2023 to November 2024 versus the same period the prior year.
These searches highlight the focus on nutrient-dense options for appetite regulation, she said.
Other popular Google searches alongside weight loss include turmeric (up 22.6% YoY) and MCT oil (up 16.6% YoY), both of which are touted for their metabolic benefits, said Williams.
Appetite control behaviors also increased 5.6% YoY in Google searches, “aligning the trend toward natural, holistic approaches to weight management,” she added.
These searches appear along side a rise in interest in anti-obesity drugs, with prominent attitudes on TikTok highlighting their effectiveness, as evidenced by hashtags such as #weightloss (196M total views on TikTok alongside Ozempic), #weightlosstransformation (33.1M total views on TikTok alongside Ozempic) and #weightlosscheck (33.0M total views on TikTok alongside Ozempic), said Williams.
“However, concerns around side effects are also prevalent,” she added, noting #ozempicface appeared 12.1 million times on TikTok alongside Ozempic and #looseskin appeared in 37 million views alongside Wegovy, based on data pulled by Spate from TikTok from Jan. 14, 2024, to Jan. 12, 2025, versus Jan. 15, 2023, to Jan. 14, 2024.
“Questions about side effects dominate search trends, including “Ozempic side effects” (450K searches), “Ozempic face” (246K searches) and “Ozempic for weight loss” (74K searched) along with concerns about long-term effects and the involvement of plastic surgeons for Ozempic face (60.5K). Searches for semaglutide (+36.0% YoY on Search) show skyrocketing interest in specific issues such as hair loss (+943.2% YoY on Search) and its oral forms (+321.6% YoY on Search), while tirzepatide (+86.1% YoY on Search) also garners significant attention,” Williams added.
“This data underscores a mix of hope for transformative results and caution about potential risks,” she said.
Join Spate and other experts in a webinar on weight management Jan. 29
Spate will share more insights into how consumers are approaching weight management and everyday wellness during a free webinar hosted by FoodNavigator this week.
Spate CEO and Co-founder Olivier Zimmer will share additional exclusive data about how TikTok is influencing food consumption and shaping consumer behavior in the opening session of FoodNavigator’s Weight Management digital event Jan. 29, which is part of our larger ongoing Positive Nutrition interactive broadcast series.
Following Zimmer’s presentation, ADM will share insights from consumer research around what consumers who are engaging with anti-obesity drugs, like GLP-1 Ras, look for when they grocery shop. This includes five unique science-based needs for this consumer group and strategies on how brands can capitalize on the opportunity presented by the skyrocketing interest in and use of these drugs.
The event will wrap with a live panel discussion on developing Ozempic-era foods and beverages during which attendees can ask questions of experts gathered by FoodNavigator-USA.
Panel speakers include Jenn Barnes, vice president of marketing with Nestlé Frozen Meals; Ricky Silver, CEO of Daily Harvest; Barb Stucky, chief innovation and marketing officer with Mattson; Brad Schwan, vice president and head of global category marketing at ADM; and Melanie Luangrath, senior director of new business development and Vertis CanolaPro at dsm-firmenich.
The event starts at 10 am central (Chicago) time on Jan. 29. Registration is free and easy.
