GLP-1 users keep eating out but spend less when they do

Respondents said they will be twice as likely to choose functional products.

Weight-loss medication users are not abandoning dining out, but they are changing how they behave when they get there, according to new research from Boston Consulting Group.

The study, which surveyed more than 1,500 GLP-1 users across nine markets, found that users plan to change their spending across all dining formats, from cafes to fine dining to fast casual, ordering smaller portions, choosing lighter options and drinking less alcohol. Total food spending is not falling, but the composition of what gets ordered is shifting.

Monthly dining occasions fall from 11 before starting medication to five during use. When users lapse, outside dining picks back up but not as frequently as before, recovering to seven occasions a month. The fastest recovery is expected to be at quick service restaurants, where spending is projected to rebound by 10% to 15% after lapsing, and at fast casual, where the rebound is estimated at 15%.

BCG said that pattern points to a shift in the occasion rather than a permanent loss of the customer. Users are not stopping visits so much as changing what they order when they arrive.

The research also found that behaviour changes do not reverse cleanly when users stop taking the medication. Food cravings return within one to three months, but habits formed around health tracking, supplements and fitness prove more durable. BCG said brands positioned at those inflexion points capture demand that outlasts any individual prescription.

Roughly one-third of money freed up by reduced calorie consumption is expected to be redirected to other categories, including supplements, fitness and personal care, with the remainder going toward savings and medication co-pays.

Active users report they plan to spend 15% more each month on fruits and vegetables and 11% more on high-protein foods, whilst spending on candy and prepared frozen sides is expected to fall by 14% and 12% respectively.

The shifts also extend beyond individual users. BCG found that around 70% of GLP-1 users in households with other members reported those members also changing what they eat or drink as a result, with the most common changes being healthier food choices, increased fruit and vegetable consumption and reduced fast food and takeaway.

BCG identified four distinct archetypes among GLP-1 users. Lifestyle optimisers, at 41%, use the medication as a platform for broader self-improvement. Disease managers, at 27%, focus on practical supplement and gut health needs. Aesthetic transformers, at 19%, concentrate spending on beauty and personal care. All-in consumers, at 13%, are rebuilding their entire health and wellness lives around the medication.

BCG said brands treating GLP-1 users as a single audience risk missing the distinct needs of each group, and that winning in this space means targeting segments explicitly rather than making broad menu changes aimed at the whole cohort.