Well, our obsession with diet culture and weight may have just reached a new high.
Food maker Nestlé has announced it is releasing a new line of ready-made meals for people taking weight-loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy.
The frozen meals, called Vital Pursuit, are pitched as being "portion-aligned" for those on such drugs. But many online feel the move is nothing short of dystopian.
The pharmaceuticals are forms of the drug semaglutide, which works on parts of the brain that regulate appetite and satiety by mimicking a natural gut hormone called incretin.
Ozempic has been prescribed for years to treat Type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy launched in 2021 to treat obesity. Both suppress the appetite and slow how quickly the stomach empties, making users feel fuller longer.
Why that requires special meals made by Nestlé is anyone's guess, but the company is seizing the opportunity.
In a statement, the company said that the Vital Pursuit line is "well-suited to support a balanced diet for anyone on a weight management journey" and features meals with "high protein and essential nutrients that are portion-aligned."
Nestlé President Tom Moe said:
"We know that every consumer on a health journey has individualized needs and considerations, and having options to support those needs will continue to play an important role."
"Over the past several years, we have been expanding choices across our meals portfolio to address consumer eating habits, and as the market evolves, we’ll continue to expand Vital Pursuit with more product formats for our consumers."
That's corporate-speak for, "there has always been money to be made by leveraging people's desire to not be fat and this is no exception. Ka-ching!"
But online, the news has struck many as something out of a Black Mirror episode—or, more specifically, the recent South Parkspecial in which Cartman goes on Ozempic.
In short, people haven't had much of anything nice to say about Nestlé's supposedly Ozempic-friendly Vital Pursuit line.
@zweichinz/TikTok
@guacothetaco_/TikTok
@thenewgirlsam/TikTok
@nc3389/TikTok
@rosina_vsg/TikTok
@gutnoises/TikTok
@idkagoodname_27/TikTok
@m.ahogany/TikTok
@t_m2387/TikTok
@byemmaline/TikTok
One thing about capitalism? It never quits.
@badgalriri/Instagram