In AI, Your Website, and The Great Dietary Awakening, I discussed why a website with clear messaging and a strong SEO, AEO, & GEO strategy is essential. Here, I am sharing more insights on the increased spotlight on the natural products industry.
How many people take GLP-1s? In a 2026 Gallup survey, 15% of U.S. adults reported having used GLP-1 medicine for weight loss. That’s approximately 39 million U.S. adults with less appetite who may under-consume protein and face risk of premature loss of muscle mass. This raises the opportunity for independent natural retailers to tout longstanding dietary and nutritional bona fides.
Much as the early 2020s COVID-19 pandemic drove millions into natural foods stores to bolster immunity and resilience, the GLP-1 phenomenon is causing a population-wide rethinking of dietary choices. With less appetite, GLP-1 users are being more selective, opting for higher quality, nutrition- and protein-dense foods despite their often-higher prices. As a result of this profound shift in food perception, we are coining the term, “The Great Dietary Awakening.”
The latest findings on consumer attitudes towards food come from the Hartman Group, which found that 60% of consumers read labels and are paying close attention to food processing. How much or little a food is processed is now the primary lens—the gatekeeper—through which consumers evaluate food choices. Hartman says trust in food marketers’ claims is fragmenting, and there has been a shift from passive acceptance of claims to active interpretation.
For example, if a food makes a high-protein claim but is also highly processed, it undermines consumer trust. To be believable, claims must be substantiated through identifiable ingredients, signs of freshness, package design consistent with the claim, and other visual and intuitive cues as proof.
Also propelling this dietary shift, state and federal policymakers are connecting the dots between ultra- processed foods, harmful additives, chronic disease, and the escalating costs of health care. States are banning certain industrial food additives and, along with the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicare Advantage plans, taxing or restricting the availability of soda and other low-nutrition food categories.
Parents are also increasingly steering teens toward healthier food choices. According to a NielsenIQ survey, more than a third of parents of Gen Alpha children born after 2010 look for high protein and natural ingredients in snacks. A quarter of all shoppers say they avoid synthetic additives and dyes. Kids themselves are skeptical of traditional brands’ claims and view third-party sources and social media influencers as more trustworthy sources.
A Dawning Golden Age?
With all these segments of society simultaneously reevaluating food choices, if there were ever a better opportunity to address diet on a global scale, I can’t think of one. Now may be the best moment in a generation to remind the public of your expertise in shaping healthy diets both for those wishing to maintain their good health, and for those with chronic preventable diet-related conditions and diseases. JJ
