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<\/p>\nRestaurants around the world are injecting a little ingenuity into the way they serve food to its customers.<\/p>\n
In response to widespread usage of Ozempic, restaurants are introducing bespoke Ozempic menus so that individuals who are using the weight loss drug are able to continue enjoying the experience of eating out, in the restaurant equivalent of a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids movie revival.<\/p>\n
\u201cGuests come in and ask for my Ozempic Menu,\u201d Max Tucci, an owner of New York restaurant TUCCI, told Newsweek over email. \u201cThey love the flexibility of smaller portions, which lets them sample a few of my TUCCI classics without wasting food.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Newsweek Photo-Illustration\/Getty\/Canva<\/p>\n
The Rise of Ozempic<\/p>\n
GLP-1 medications<\/a>, like Ozempic and Mounjaro, are injectable drugs that mimic hormones in order to promote weight loss. In recent years, their popularity has skyrocketed, and according to a report from Rand released in August 2025, nearly 12 percent of Americans have now used GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.<\/p>\n Usage of these drugs has already massively consumed the consumption of food and body image in popular culture. A July report from Big Chalk Analytics found that GLP-1 users have cut some $6.5 billion from spending at U.S. grocery stores.<\/a><\/p>\n Meanwhile, the proliferation of weight loss drugs has come in tandem with a cultural shift around body diversity<\/a> and a return to the ultra-thin beauty standard.<\/a> The most recent Vogue Business size inclusivity report, published at the close of the FW25 runways in March, reported that size inclusivity had declined once again, the continuation in a downward trajectory.<\/p>\n \u201cOf the 8,703 looks presented across 198 shows and presentations, 97.7 per cent were straight-size (US 0-4), 2 per cent were mid-size (US 6-12) and 0.3 per cent were plus size (US 14+),” the report read.<\/p>\n Speaking to Newsweek over email about this cultural shift, Lisa R. Young, a nutrition consultant, author of Finally Full, and an adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University, said, \u201cFor decades, we\u2019ve equated ‘value’ with getting more food for less money\u2014supersized meals became the norm. Now, as weight loss drugs reshape the conversation about appetite and health, there\u2019s a shift toward moderation and self-regulation.\u201d<\/p>\n As the widespread usage of weight loss drugs triggered a shift in food consumption, it became inevitable that the culinary world would have to catch up.<\/p>\n Shrinking Portion Sizes<\/p>\n And catch up they did.<\/p>\n New York restaurant Tucci is one example of a restaurant that has brought in an Ozempic menu. Tucci told Newsweek he had noticed lots of food being wasted in his restaurant. <\/p>\n \u201cAbout 40 percent of what restaurants serve gets thrown out,\u201d he said. \u201cGuests began asking if they could order smaller portions.\u201d<\/p>\n But this became even more apparent with the rise of weight loss drugs. \u201cPeople are even more straightforward,\u201d Tucci said, explaining that customers would ask him for just one of an item. \u201cOver the past year-and-a-half, we\u2019ve seen this shift grow. People are health-conscious, but they still want the experience of dining out and enjoying great food.”<\/p>\n For Otto Tepass\u00e9, the co-owner of Otto’s French Restaurant in London, the shift came about differently. Speaking to Newsweek over a phone call, he explained that one of his regular customers, who he described as a \u201cbillionaire,\u201d who has been \u201ccoming to the restaurant since the opening,\u201d told him that he had gone on Ozempic.<\/p>\n Realizing that the customer would be coming to the restaurant less as a result, he decided to \u201cdo a menu for him, just tailored for him, which is gonna have less food on the plate.\u201d<\/p>\n This way, \u201che gets the luxury, and he gets the items, but for less money.\u201d They then trialed the menu, and \u201cit worked,\u201d and Otto ultimately decided to put out the menu at the restaurant.<\/p>\n And the response of the menu has been \u201cextremely positive,\u201d Tepass\u00e9 told Newsweek.<\/p>\n Tucci echoed this saying that at his restaurant \u201cthe response has been overwhelmingly positive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy paying attention to how our guests\u2019 preferences are changing, along with broader lifestyle and industry trends, we introduced smaller-plate versions of some of our most popular dishes,\u201d Tucci said. \u201cThese portions let diners enjoy the full flavor and experience without the commitment of a larger plate.\u201d<\/p>\n And small portions could have benefits for a wider group than just weight loss drug users. \u201cSmaller portions can absolutely support healthier eating\u2014whether or not someone is taking a weight loss drug,\u201d Young told Newsweek.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, there\u2019s a behavioral nuance here. If restaurants are downsizing only to target people on weight-loss drugs, they risk reinforcing the idea that smaller portions are ‘only’ for those using medication. Ideally, smaller portions should be normalized for everyone as part of a broader shift toward balanced eating, mindful consumption, and listening to internal hunger cues,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Katherine N. Balantekin, an assistant professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Buffalo, echoed this. \u201cThere are several nutrition considerations for smaller portion sizes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cReducing portion sizes at restaurants will help decrease excess caloric intake. It is becoming more common for restaurants to offer multiple portion sizes, and I think that’s a wise solution here, as some of us still need or want the larger portion size,\u201d Balantekin said.<\/p>\n A Change in the Way We Eat<\/p>\n In America and beyond, diet culture is regularly inundated with trends, with magazines and social media often spinning like a carousel of never-ending fad diets. In this ilk, it could be easy to dismiss the Ozempic menu as just another trend.<\/p>\n But it seems there is a bigger shift at play here.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see the Ozempic menu going anywhere,\u201d Tucci told Newsweek. \u201cThis isn\u2019t a fad\u2014it\u2019s part of a bigger shift in how people think about portions, health, and enjoying a night out without overindulging.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t do trends,\u201d Tepass\u00e9 told Newsweek. \u201cI think it [Ozempic menu\u2019s] is going to stay, simply because people care more about their bodies now. Including men, especially men.\u201d<\/p>\n Nutrition Rachel Dyckman was in agreement about the shift and its staying power.<\/p>\n \u201cCulturally, these changes reflect how quickly our relationship with food is being reshaped by the popularity of weight loss drugs,\u201d she said to Newsweek over email.<\/p>\n