How weight loss drugs could reshape the $100 trillion global economy

While Silicon Valley obsesses over AI, Wildfire Labs founder Todd Gagne argues that GLP-1 medications represent a much greater economic disruptor — the first drugs regulating human impulse control in a consumption-driven economy.

Gagne argues that these medications will transform industries built on impulse purchases, from restaurants and retail to advertising and entertainment. "When you change how hundreds of millions of people make decisions, the economic impact is incalculable."

In 2021, Lisa Chen, a software engineer, started a new weight-loss medication. Then, something interesting happened at her local coffee shop, her employer's healthcare costs, and the global economy.

In six months, Lisa stopped buying her daily morning muffin, causing the coffee shop to lose $600 in annual revenue from one customer. Within a year, she canceled her beer-of-the-month subscription and stopped ordering late-night DoorDash. By 2023, her grocery bill dropped 40%, alcohol spending fell 85%, and impulse Amazon purchases plunged 60%.

Lisa is one person. Her story will become the story of hundreds of millions.

Gagne writes, "Madison Avenue is quietly panicking. One major agency (which asked not to be named) estimates that 50% of their current advertising strategies will be obsolete by 2027. They are right to worry."

Previously:
• Ozempic and Wegovy's untapped potential for addiction, anxiety, and depression
• Compounded semaglutide is dangerous; eat oatmeal