IN THIS ARTICLE
"I've faced more peer pressure to eat protein as an adult than I ever did to take drugs as a teen," says a viral social media meme.
Cottage cheese and greek yoghurt shortages abound in supermarkets around the country.
Upping your protein intake is usually one of the first things you're told to do if you're on any kind of fitness improvement journey, especially if you're researching through social media and the internet.
SBS News quoted Dietitians Australia president Dr Fiona Willer as saying high-protein diets are "a social media phenomenon rather than [one] driven by science".
Nonetheless, the demand is there, driven by the pervasive belief that to achieve your fitness goals, you need to protein-maxx.
A disclaimer before we get into it: we're not health experts, and this isn't health advice. If you have health concerns or goals, a good first step is to check in with your GP. Only your doctor can tell you what's right for you. This also isn't a recommendation to buy or sell holdings in a specific company. Past performance isn't a reliable indicator of future performance - we think it's interesting to share what we're learning about trends and where we think the world is going - but returns are never guaranteed.
What is protein-maxxing?
In general, the food we eat falls into three macronutrient groups: carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
Each of these macronutrients is worth a different number of calories per gram: protein is worth four calories per gram, carbs are worth four calories per gram, and fat is worth nine calories per gram. The combination of macros in food is what gives it its calorie values. Each macro plays different roles in keeping your body fit and healthy.
When people set out to change their bodies, one of the first things they might do is figure out their macro targets.
When they decide to protein-maxx, they go hard on maximising the amount of protein they can fit into their diets.
This is what Stewart (not his real name) did.
"For me, protein is the most important macro and I take it as a target to be hit."
— Stewart (not his real name)
Stewart targets 171 daily grams from protein. He has a weight loss target he measures down to the gram, which he set based on information he learned from online body building forums.
David (also a fake name) followed personal trainers on Instagram Reels, which led to him entering his meals in My Fitness Pal to check their macros.
"I'm known for being locked in during football pre-season."
— David (also a fake name)
He said. "Claude and ChatGPT know about macros so I ask them, too."
Lucy (not her real name) has a different reason for protein-maxxing: her doctor recommended it to her as part of her journey with a weight loss drug.
"I'm on a weight loss drug and I have to try to eat lots of protein to avoid muscle loss. These were the main recommendations I got when I was prescribed: to increase my protein and go to the gym."
— Lucy (not her real name)
It starts with a venomous lizard
A Gila monster up close, captured by David Clode, Unsplash
In the late 90s, an endocrinologist named Dr John Eng had been pondering the Gila monster, which can slow its metabolism, keep its blood sugar steady, and stay healthy even after long periods of fasting, according to the US National Institute on Aging.
The Gila monster's venom won't kill you if it bites you but apparently it hurts a lot.
Dr Eng discovered that in the Gila monster's venom was a peptide that was similar to the GLP-1 found in humans. He called it exendin. GLP-1 is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite after eating, according to Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute.
Long story short, another researcher named Dr Josephine Egan and her team injected exendin-4 into diabetic mice and found that it normalised their blood sugar in a week. Further testing established it as safe and effective for humans, and the first GLP-1 drug, Exenatide, based on exendin-4 was approved in 2005 to treat Type 2 diabetes.
Why are you telling me this, Spaceship?
After Exenatide was approved, research continued and more GLP-1s were released until one started to catch buzz for off-label use. Off-label use is when medicine is prescribed for purposes other than what the drug was first intended for. A side-effect of these type 2 diabetes drugs was that they could provoke dramatic weight loss.
While there are heaps of people with type 2 diabetes, there are even more people who suffer from obesity. In 2022, according to the World Health Organisation, 1 in 8 people worldwide were living with obesity, including 890 million adults, while 830 million people were living with diabetes.
Wegovy, made by Novo Nordisk, was approved to treat weight loss in the US in 2021, and in Australia in 2024. Wegovy is the weight loss version of the diabetes drug called Ozempic.
Zepbound, made by Eli Lilly, was approved in the US for weight loss in 2023 and in Australia, where it's called Mounjaro, in 2024.
In April 2026, the US FDA approved another GLP-1, the second in pill form, called Foundayo. Foundayo is made by Eli Lilly and is a weight loss pill that can be taken with or without food, at any time of day, and without water restrictions, according to the company. (In contrast, other drugs need to be taken on empty stomachs, with water, or at specific times.)
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are both in some of the Spaceship Voyager portfolios at the time of writing, 21 April 2026. Portfolio holdings can change. Their individual stock performance can vary, and past returns aren't indicative of future performance.
How many people take weight loss drugs?
GLP-1 drugs, like the one Lucy is on, have exploded in popularity - including in Australia, where an estimated half a million adults already take them, according to a Rabobank report.
You, or someone you know, could be on them.
GLP-1s and protein-maxxing
As Lucy said, her doctor encouraged her to increase her protein intake. GLP-1s curb your appetite, meaning that people who take them are encouraged to get the biggest nutritional bang for their buck. Out with the potato chips, in with the sweet potato.
In the US, households who had at least one person taking a GLP-1 drug saved 6% on their grocery bills, mainly from decreasing their processed food purchases and gravitating toward higher-protein dairy, fresh produce, and nutrition bars instead, according to the same Rabobank report.
It notes the two main drivers of behaviour change for GLP-1 users: reduced appetite, which reduces food intake, and taste perception, which dulls cravings.
Reduced food intake can impact the amount of nutrients a user is receiving, note Samantha Stuk and Kelly Rooke from Healthed. They referred to a 2025 US study that showed GLP-1 users weren't receiving recommended levels of different macro and micronutrients, and advised the importance of protein during weight loss should be emphasised by practitioners.
Back to the empty cottage cheese and greek yoghurt aisles
"Weight loss due to these medications also comes with muscle loss which can be somewhat countered by increased protein intake, leading to greater demand for high protein food, particularly dairy products and nutrition bars, as well as fresh produce," says the Rabobank report.
GLP-1s are designed for long-term use, and habit changes can be long-lasting.
Blame it on GLP-1s, on body building forums, or social media - but demand is up.
Chobani VP of Marketing Ellie Vince told Mi3 that of the 97% of Aussie households who've purchased yoghurt in the last 12 months, 40% of them have purchased high-protein yoghurt, and she's expecting further growth.
The Department of Health can tell you more about official protein recommendations, which, like finance and investing, are based on your own unique circumstances.
GLP-1s aren't the only thing influencing us to eat more protein: our personal trainers, online influencers, and GPs may all be saying similar things.
But keep in mind, those same sources could also be saying the opposite, depending on who you listen to. That's why it's important to seek advice from a professional.
But we watch consumer trends closely at Spaceship because they help us understand what might be "where the world is going."
Want to learn more about the companies held in Spaceship Voyager portfolios? Get to know the Spaceship Voyager portfolios including portfolio information, risks, fees, Target Market Determination and Product Disclosure Statement.
Some of our Spaceship Voyager portfolios invest in Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly at the time of writing, 21 April 2026.
Important! We're sharing with you our thoughts on the companies in which Spaceship Voyager invests for your informational purposes only. We think it's important (and interesting!) to let you know what's happening with Spaceship Voyager's investments. However, we are not making recommendations to buy or sell holdings in a specific company. Past performance isn't a reliable indicator of future performance.
