Fashion retailers reduce plus-size clothing amid rise in weight-loss drug use

Major fashion retailers are reducing their inventory of plus-size clothing in the United States, a trend linked to the rising popularity of GLP-1 weight-loss medications like Ozempic. Data from market research firm Mintel indicates that by June 2025, 18% of American adults reported using GLP-1 drugs, up from 12% in 2024. This shift coincides with a decline in the U.S. adult obesity rate, which fell to 36.4% this year from a peak of 39.9% in 2022, according to Gallup.

Analysis by the research firm Edited shows a significant decrease in larger sizes for major brands. For H&M’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, 3XL and 4XL sizes were entirely absent from new dress arrivals, compared to 2% of arrivals in the previous year. XXL stock also saw a 3 percentage point decrease. Similarly, Mango reduced its stock of new dresses in sizes 44 to 48 from 6.6% in Spring/Summer 2025 to just 0.5% for the 2026 season.