Muted Desire: Putting All Impulses on Hold

What’s Changing?

In a world where abundance is everywhere, consumers are no longer chasing instant gratification. Instead, they’re exercising self-control, setting boundaries, and redefining what indulgence means. Consumers are now drawn to brands that help them moderate, rather than overconsume.

The rise of appetite-suppressing medications like Ozempic has influenced how consumers view eating. Food is no longer just fuel; it’s evolving into a sensory experience, inspiring everything from edible-like scents in beauty to textures in fashion. These medications have also influenced consumption beyond food—shaping a culture where satiety isn’t synonymous with fulfillment.

This is particularly evident among Gen Z and Millennials, who are leading the charge in trends like “deinfluencing”. Our AI technology also found that some of the top tags mentioned in early adopter conversations online were “portion control,” “dopamine detox,” and “set clear boundaries.”

In 2025, people are putting boundaries first, avoiding excess, and redefining fulfillment as something more intentional. Overconsumption feels outdated, and flaunting frugality is the new status symbol. For brands, this means respecting these shifts—less hype, more thoughtful engagement, and personalization that’s just as much about what people don’t want as what they do.

The Muted Desire Trend’s Key Components

Muted Desire is about consumers deliberately dialing down their impulses. It manifests in three major ways:

• Appetite Redirected – Food is no longer just for eating; its aesthetics, textures, and aromas are influencing industries like beauty, fashion, and design.
• Abundance Fatigue – Overconsumption is losing its appeal, with consumers favoring minimalism and intentional purchases.
• Boundaries Renaissance – People are setting clearer personal and consumption boundaries, embracing “red flag” thinking to avoid regrettable purchases.
  

"Last year revealed a significant shift in consumer behaviours, with individuals exhibiting self-control more and more, not only in terms of their physical appetites but also in their overall consumption patterns," said Elena Marinoni, Head of Trend Research at Nextatlas, during our webinar to launch the 2025 trend report.

"Consumers are embracing a very selective mindset characterized by the expressions above, such as “red flags”, “appetite suppression”, “respecting boundaries”, and “maintaining control”. As you can see [in the image above], the online popularity of all these expressions has been growing over the past year."

Actionable Insights for the top Industries impacted by Muted Desire

Food & Beverage: Brands should tap into the sensory magic of food—its sights, smells, and textures—and bring it to both food and non-food products and experiences. This approach can captivate consumers looking for new ways to indulge their senses without a single bite. Food-inspired beauty products and food-based synesthesia in marketing, visuals and packaging will be key in 2025.

Retail: With people tired of overconsumption, brands should shift their messaging and strategies to focus less on abundance and more on mindful, intentional choices. Physical stores should also shift from promoting impulse buys to creating shopping environments that encourage intentional, curated purchasing.

Media & Entertainment: In today’s world of hyper-personalization, consumers expect tailored experiences. Brands need to communicate and entertain with a focus on letting customers shape how they engage with products and services. However, personalization should extend beyond recommendations—brands must help consumers filter out content they don’t want, respecting their need for control over their consumption habits.

Trend lines, data, and information described in this article emerge from the ongoing analysis performed by Nextatlas on its global observation pool made of innovators, early adopters, industry insiders expressing their views on Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit.

To learn more about our AI, discover Nextatlas Methodology here