Weight-loss jabs reshape pub spending

Consumers are cutting back when eating and drinking out of home as more people begin taking GLP-1 medication, according to RSM UK’s Consumer Outlook research.

The survey of 2,000 consumers found more than two fifths (45%) who are using GLPs or have used them said they eat smaller portions, almost four in 10 (39%) said they snack less frequently and almost a third (32%) drink less alcohol.

Additionally, almost three in 10 (28%) eat out or get takeaway meals less frequently and a similar figure (29%) would spend more on healthier food options.

Almost two in 10 consumers (19%) have used GLPs or are currently using them. This jumps to 36% for Gen Z and 30% for Millennials – highlighting the scale and growing influence on consumer behaviour.

RSM UK head of leisure and hospitality Saxon Moseley said: “This drive towards healthy options is not new. However, the increased use of GLPs has accelerated this trend so operators are needing to re-engineer menus – whether it’s providing healthy or protein rich options, offering more low & no alcohol options or incorporating small plates.

Adapt quickly

“However, restaurants achieve higher margins on starters, desserts and alcohol. If consumers are drinking less and skipping courses, the squeeze on the bottom line will be particularly acute even if cover numbers don’t change significantly.

“Operators will need to adapt quickly to preserve margins and capitalise on this growing health trend, particularly as the first daily weight-loss pill launched on Monday (6 July) in the UK and is set to accelerate demand further.”

Meanwhile, business management consultants Katie Deem and Felix Haston of 4C Associates have stated “the time to pay attention is now”.

The threat of GLP-1 drugs to the hospitality and grocery sectors was noted as far back as Christmas 2024 when grocery sales rose 2.5% in value but fell 0.2% in volume in the US.

Deem and Haston argue this isn’t a wellness trend but a structural demand shift, with lasting implications. And operators best placed to navigate it are those that start adapting now, rather than waiting for UK adoption to reach US scale.

In their report, the duo said: “The early behavioural shift among GLP-1 users is less about what consumers stop buying and more about how they choose to buy. Smaller meal portions and fewer snacks. More selective, higher-quality choices – ‘fewer but better’ across both retail and hospitality.”

Greater scrutiny

They also stated there is greater scrutiny on nutritional value and reduced impulse purchasing with this being fewer discretionary add-ons like sides, desserts and drinks in the hospitality sector.

The pair added: “In hospitality, the impact is less about footfall and more about how consumers spend. As consumption becomes more intentional, diners are not necessarily eating out less, but they are making more selective choices: sharing mains, opting for lighter dishes, cutting back on high-margin add-ons. The result mirrors what is being seen in grocery: a move from volume and frequency toward value density and purpose-driven consumption.

“The challenge for operators is maintaining profitability per visit, which means rethinking menu engineering, portion formats, pricing structure and how value is communicated.

“This is before accounting for the structural pressures already bearing down on the sector, such as rising business rates, wage inflation and persistent cost of living constraints.

“GLP-1-related demand shifts layer onto these existing pressures rather than replacing them. The challenge is not simply to adapt the menu; it is to redesign the commercial model.

“The winners will not be those who simply shrink portions or add protein claims to existing products. They will be those who redesign their offer and their operations around a more intentional, value-driven model of consumption.”