Scientists say GLP one drugs may curb pleasure-seeking urges far beyond food cravings

Scientists and medical professionals are beginning to uncover surprising and far-reaching effects of GLP one drugs, the medications originally designed for weight loss and diabetes control. While they are known for quieting hunger signals, new evidence suggests they may also dampen impulse-driven behaviour and reduce the desire for activities once considered pleasurable or addictive. The result could be a profound shift not only in personal habits but in the wider consumer world.

Juliet, who is forty-eight, spent decades battling compulsive behaviour. She struggled with overeating, impulsive spending and chaotic relationships. She describes a constant inner voice pushing her toward choices she knew would harm her health, her finances and her wellbeing. She tried Dry January but failed on the very first day. She saved money to move house, yet spent it impulsively on an impractical coat. She even recalled sneaking downstairs as a child to eat chocolate spread straight from the jar.

Then she began using Mounjaro to help her lose more than two stone. Within days, the internal voice that had tormented her since childhood vanished. She no longer felt drawn to overeating, binge drinking or compulsive spending. It was the first time she felt fully in control of her own impulses.

Scientists say this experience may not be unusual. GLP one medications appear to reduce the brain’s demand for dopamine, which normally fuels the reward system. This system drives our urges for pleasure and novelty. Chocolate, wine, new clothes, flirting, gambling, scrolling on social media, and other small treats may lose their appeal because the brain no longer receives the same reward from them.

Brands that rely on quick dopamine-driven purchases are already seeing early shifts in consumer behaviour. Sales of indulgent snacks, vapes and alcohol have slowed while healthier products are gaining ground. Some experts believe this trend could reshape the entire landscape of consumer culture. Scott Galloway, an academic and business analyst, suggested that GLP one medications might have an impact even bigger than artificial intelligence.

Science is still developing. The biologist Giles Yeo explains that the desire to eat depends on feelings of fullness, the enjoyment of food and the sense of reward that comes after eating. GLP one drugs raise the threshold for pleasure, making basic food feel satisfying enough and muting the appeal of more indulgent treats. Yeo says this may extend to other forms of pleasure too, although the theory has not yet been tested in controlled studies.

Researchers say they need to determine how many people experience this reduction in pleasure and whether factors such as sex or brain wiring influence the response. Early signals suggest a promising role in treating addiction. A clinical researcher at the University of Oxford, Riccardo De Giorgi, says initial data show people taking the drugs for diabetes or obesity often drink less or smoke less without intentional effort.

Doctors working with patients report similar patterns. NHS doctor Max Pemberton says many of his patients describe the disappearance of food noise but also a surprising drop in desire for alcohol, drugs, gambling or shopping. He believes these changes may be rooted in altered thought patterns created by the medication.

The University of Oxford has recently completed a trial that examines willpower and GLP one drugs and expects to publish results soon. De Giorgi believes the drugs will eventually evolve into more targeted versions aimed at specific behaviours rather than appetite alone. He predicts a future in which refined treatments help with addiction or impulse disorders without affecting overall nutrition.

By 2032, the patents for the drugs will expire in Europe and the United States. Prices will fall and more people will gain access. This could set the stage for major social change as millions experience a shift in their pleasure responses and daily habits.

What began as a tool for weight loss may become one of the most transformative medical developments of the century, with consequences for health, psychology, addiction and the entire consumer economy.