Restaurants around the world are injecting a little ingenuity into the way they serve food to its customers.
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.
“Guests come in and ask for my Ozempic Menu,” Max Tucci, an owner of New York restaurant TUCCI, told Newsweek over email. “They love the flexibility of smaller portions, which lets them sample a few of my TUCCI classics without wasting food.”
Newsweek Photo-Illustration/Getty/Canva
The Rise of Ozempic
GLP-1 medications, 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.
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.
Meanwhile, the proliferation of weight loss drugs has come in tandem with a cultural shift around body diversity and a return to the ultra-thin beauty standard. 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.
“Of 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.
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, “For decades, we’ve equated ‘value’ with getting more food for less money—supersized meals became the norm. Now, as weight loss drugs reshape the conversation about appetite and health, there’s a shift toward moderation and self-regulation.”
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.
Shrinking Portion Sizes
And catch up they did.
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.
“About 40 percent of what restaurants serve gets thrown out,” he said. “Guests began asking if they could order smaller portions.”
But this became even more apparent with the rise of weight loss drugs. “People are even more straightforward,” Tucci said, explaining that customers would ask him for just one of an item. “Over the past year-and-a-half, we’ve seen this shift grow. People are health-conscious, but they still want the experience of dining out and enjoying great food.”
For Otto Tepassé, 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 “billionaire,” who has been “coming to the restaurant since the opening,” told him that he had gone on Ozempic.
Realizing that the customer would be coming to the restaurant less as a result, he decided to “do a menu for him, just tailored for him, which is gonna have less food on the plate.”
This way, “he gets the luxury, and he gets the items, but for less money.” They then trialed the menu, and “it worked,” and Otto ultimately decided to put out the menu at the restaurant.
And the response of the menu has been “extremely positive,” Tepassé told Newsweek.
Tucci echoed this saying that at his restaurant “the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”
“By paying attention to how our guests’ preferences are changing, along with broader lifestyle and industry trends, we introduced smaller-plate versions of some of our most popular dishes,” Tucci said. “These portions let diners enjoy the full flavor and experience without the commitment of a larger plate.”
And small portions could have benefits for a wider group than just weight loss drug users. “Smaller portions can absolutely support healthier eating—whether or not someone is taking a weight loss drug,” Young told Newsweek.
“However, there’s 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,” she added.
Katherine N. Balantekin, an assistant professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Buffalo, echoed this. “There are several nutrition considerations for smaller portion sizes,” she said.
“Reducing 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,” Balantekin said.
A Change in the Way We Eat
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.
But it seems there is a bigger shift at play here.
“I don’t see the Ozempic menu going anywhere,” Tucci told Newsweek. “This isn’t a fad—it’s part of a bigger shift in how people think about portions, health, and enjoying a night out without overindulging.”
“I don’t do trends,” Tepassé told Newsweek. “I think it [Ozempic menu’s] is going to stay, simply because people care more about their bodies now. Including men, especially men.”
Nutrition Rachel Dyckman was in agreement about the shift and its staying power.
“Culturally, these changes reflect how quickly our relationship with food is being reshaped by the popularity of weight loss drugs,” she said to Newsweek over email.
As the usage of weight loss drugs increases, obesity rates, which had previously been on a years-long upward trajectory, have started to shift downwards for the first time in more than a decade. A JAMA Health Forum study released in December 2024 found that across a sample of almost 17 million adults, the mean population body mass index had grown from 2013 to 2021, but, in 2022 obesity rates had plateaued before decreasing in 2023.
But there is a layer of nuance to consider with nutrition, and Dyckman emphasized the importance of not taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
“We all have different energy and nutrient needs, and sustainable, healthy weight management requires individualized adjustments,” she said.
In this way, she said that shrinking portion sizes could be a “double-edged sword,” and noted that as this attitude toward nutrition and food consumption evolves, she hopes that we can “Continue to prioritize mindful, individualized nourishment over blanket portion reduction.”
Full Interview Below
Newsweek’s interview with Max Tucci, an owner of New York restaurant, TUCCI.
When did you first notice diners ordering less/struggling with full portions?
What struck me early on was noticing how much food was wasted—about 40 percent of what restaurants serve gets thrown out. Guests began asking if they could order smaller portions, like one meatball instead of three. Lately, with the rise of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, people are even more straightforward. They’ll say, ‘I only want one arancini.’ Over the past year-and-a half, we’ve seen this shift grow. People are health-conscious, but they still want the experience of dining out and enjoying great food.
Did you decide proactively to redesign portions / introduce a “mini menu”?
Yes, but I call it my ‘Ozempic menu.’ By paying attention to how our guests’ preferences are changing, along with broader lifestyle and industry trends, we introduced smaller-plate versions of some of our most popular dishes—the famous TUCCI meatballs and our Arancini with Caviar. These portions let diners enjoy the full flavor and experience without the commitment of a larger plate.
How do you balance cost, margins, and guest satisfaction with smaller plates?
Balancing these factors takes careful planning. We source high-quality ingredients so we can maintain flavor and presentation while keeping costs in check. Smaller plates not only cut down on food waste, they also encourage guests to order more dishes, which enhances their experience and supports profitability. For us, it’s about crafting a thoughtful menu that delights guests while making sense for the business.
What has been the customer response?
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Guests come in and ask for my Ozempic Menu. They love the flexibility of smaller portions, which lets them sample a few of my TUCCI classics without wasting food. It’s not just GLP-1 users—this approach resonates with anyone looking to manage portion sizes or try more items from the menu.
Do you see this as a fad or part of a broader eating trend?
I don’t see the Ozempic menu going anywhere. Already, 13 to 15 million Americans are using GLP-1 injections, and when the pill hits the market, that could climb to 30 or 40 million. This isn’t a fad—it’s part of a bigger shift in how people think about portions, health, and enjoying a night out without overindulging. And what I love the most is we are wasting less food at TUCCI- it’s a win, win!
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