Guests invited to dinner should give their hosts advance notice if they are using weight-loss injections such as Ozempic, according to an unusual new take on modern etiquette.
A fresh survey found that 61 per cent of Britons think the polite thing to do before attending a lunch or dinner gathering is to contact the host beforehand and explain that they are taking weight-loss medication.
With an estimated 1.5 million people in the UK now using Ozempic, Mounjaro or Wegovy, the issue is becoming increasingly common. One in five hosts said they had felt frustrated after preparing an elaborate meal, only to watch guests barely touch it and simply move food around their plates.
The findings come from research by insights agency Perspectus Global, which surveyed 2,000 adults across Britain.
Among those taking the drugs, 80 per cent said the social aspects of eating and drinking have become uncomfortable.
Almost half, or 47 per cent, said the medications had completely undermined their enjoyment of dinner parties.
Almost a quarter (22 per cent) have offended a host, by being unable to eat the food they’d prepared, while one in ten have even hidden food in a napkin at someone’s house to avoid embarrassment.
And it’s not just food that’s spoiled, with 18 per cent of those on injections saying that they can no longer enjoy nice wine or cocktails.
Dinner party guests should let their hosts known in advance if they’re taking weight loss jabs such as Ozempic, according to a bizarre new etiquette rule (stock photo)
Harriet Scott from insights agency Perspectus Global which carried out the survey of 2,000 Brits, said: ‘Weight loss drugs may be a cure for obesity that we’ve been looking for, for decades, but we’re still in the early days of their use and they will have ripple effects which we won’t be aware of yet.
‘The fact that their use can make social eating difficult is just one unforeseen effect.
‘This research proves that shared meals may become more awkward until we work past the social difficulties and adapt our menus.’
And the data has revealed a list of 20 injection friendly dinner party dishes, for those cooking for guests with little, to no appetite.
Among the list was a small prawn cocktail (21 per cent) melon and prosciutto (15 per cent), fish soup (13 per cent) or a small fillet steak with some simple greens (18 per cent).
While 14 per cent of hosts say a sorbet makes a great choice of pudding, and to start, rather than filling appetisers, some simple crudités and dips (14 per cent)
Salmon Gravadlax, Thai beef salads, sashimi and prawn summer rolls are other options one may consider when throwing a soiree for guests on a medical weight-loss programme.
It comes after Mounjaro manufacturer Lilly sparked panic among slimmers after revealing it would more than double the price of the drug in the UK.
Six in ten Brits (61 per cent) believe the correct modern etiquette is to call ahead of a dinner or lunch party – to notify the host you are taking weight loss drugs. Stock photo of Ozempic
The US pharmaceutical giant announced the cost would soar from September 1, with the wholesale price of a month’s supply of the highest dose rising from £122 to £330.
Lilly claimed it had initially launched Mounjaro in the UK at a price ‘significantly below the European average to prevent delays in NHS availability’ but that this must now change ‘to ensure fair global contributions to the cost of innovation’.
The announcement, however, does not affect the price the NHS pays, as the service has negotiated a heavily discounted rate for those getting the drug on prescription.
But there are thought to be around 1.5 million people on weight loss drugs in the UK with more than half of them on Mounjaro—and estimates suggest nine in 10 pay for these drugs privately.
Users flocked to social media warning denouncing the move, worried they were now left with no option but to come off the ‘life changing’ jab.
‘I have no one to talk to about this and I’m freaking out,’ one wrote on Reddit.
‘Call it dramatic but I just cannot afford this, and this med is my only lifeline right now. I’m absolutely devastated. I don’t know what to do.’
Another said: ‘I’m totally freaking out about it! I’m only about to go onto my 2nd pen now. The black market is going to be even more rife than ever due to this, fuming.’
The main concern among slimmers is regaining weight after being forced to stop Mounjaro.
Evidence suggests currently only around 2 to 10 per cent of people keep all their lost weight off if they stop taking the jabs, known collectively as GLP-1s.
The spread of ‘fat jabs’ such as Ozempic could lead to a rise in the state pension age because previously obese workers will live longer than expected, Government advisers have warned.
Users of the drugs, which also include Mounjaro and Wegovy, typically lose about 15 per cent of their body weight, leading to knock-on health benefits such as lower cholesterol levels and reduced blood pressure.
A Government source told The Mail on Sunday yesterday: ‘Obviously everyone can see the health benefits. But some people in the Treasury are worried about the impact on the pension crisis. Obesity is a big killer.
‘And if people are starting to live a lot longer because they’re not overweight that’s quickly going to become an issue. Especially if we’re going to see it regularly being prescribed on the NHS, as Wes is advocating.’
