How McDonald’s is grappling with the Ozempic boom

September 24, 2026 — 3:59pm

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Ozempic, the injectable weight loss drug which has become a transformative weapon in the war against obesity and a cultural phenomenon in its own right, might seem like the sworn enemy of the fast food industry.

But McDonald’s sees dollar signs in the Glucagon-Like-Peptide-1 (GLP-1) era.

The company synonymous with super-sized everything says it views the era of slimming waist lines with cautious optimism.

“Eighty-four per cent of households with GLP-1 users visit McDonald’s. This is an opportunity,” McDonald’s USA president Skye Anderson told investors this week, speaking about American households.

In reality, big food has no other choice. Traffic at McDonald’s has been flat, and the company has missed sales for several quarters, with its share price down 22 per cent this year. The company, which this week unveiled plans for a $US8.5 billion overhaul including changes to its menu, says this decline has been driven in part by stubbornly high inflation.

But it is also acutely aware of the way weight loss drugs are changing........

© The Sydney Morning Herald