America’s ‘inflation diet’ is starving junk food sales

Half of the cheap-and-tasty paradigm that makes junk food so appealing is collapsing: Many of those guilty-pleasure treats aren’t so cheap anymore.

More than any impact weight-loss drugs like Ozempic are having on big food companies, “America’s best ‘diet’ may seem to be inflation, as stretched consumers cut back,” wrote Piper Sandler food industry analyst Michael Lavery.

Researchers are still studying if there are health benefits to higher prices on not-so-good-for-you food. Food executives have made it clear those higher prices are hurting their companies’ financial health.

Irresistible sweets, savory snacks and fast food have shaped the American diet with big flavors and minimal nutritional value for a century now. The emergence of healthier alternatives combined with consumers who n