Penny Lane Boutique has seen a surge in customers buying smaller-size wardrobes in the past six months, the owner of the Huntington shop said. Some of the clothing boutique’s regular customers are transparent about needing new clothes because of drastic weight loss with the help of Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound or other injectable medications, owner Gabrielle Sunshine said. Others aren’t.
“One woman told us she had mono. We, like, rolled our eyes,” said Sunshine, who added that she supports the use of the drugs if it they’re helping people get healthier. In a country where of 42% of the adult population is obese, according to the U.
S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the appetite-suppressing medications have the potential to cause significant shifts in the apparel, food and beverage, and fitness industries, some analysts said. An estimated 6% of American adults, representing 15.
5 million people, reported having used injectable medicine to reduce weight, according to an analysis of a Gallup survey of 5,577 U.S. adults in March.
On Long Island, some clothing stores are seeing a boost in sales of smaller sizes and restaurants’ diners are buying less food, owners said. Meanwhile, gym membership numbers are rising. Taking obesity drugs can lead to muscle loss, so the manufacturers and prescribing doctors recommend that users adopt a healthier lifestyle that includes physical fitness.
“We are busier than we’ve ever been. Do I attribute that to Ozempic use? I .
