(Radio Iowa) – National data indicates the popularity of weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy is creating losses — for the restaurant industry. Jessica Dunker is president and C-E-O of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “When people first started talking to me about this, oh, up around the first of the year, I thought: ‘Hmm. That doesn’t make a lot of sense,'” Dunker said. “But as more and more of the population is taking these GLP-1s, there’s a couple of side effects that are maybe unforeseen and they do impact restaurants.”

For every 1000 people IN IOWA, a dozen had a prescription for Ozempic and Wagovy that was being covered by insurance according to a recent Axios report. Dunker says that doesn’t count others who are paying up to 13-hundred dollars out of pocket for a month’s supply — using disposable income to lose weight and get healthy, leaving less money to go out for a meal.

“Secondly, their appetites are definitely impacted by this,” Dunker said. “We’re finding that people do go out less. They spent less when they arrive. They are definitely choosing smaller portion sizes or only maybe just a small appetizer and one drink, versus someone who maybe would have come for dinner.” A survey by Bloomberg found 54 percent of G-L-P-one users said they’ve dined out less frequently since starting the medication. It’s having an effect in Iowa restaurants that offer table service, according to Dunker.

“We’re not going to encourage anyone to not get healthy, but there is real impact there,” Dunker said, “so if you have had a recent weight loss, come out and celebrate with something healthy and bring some friends along.”

As Radio Iowa recently reported, Dunker is predicting up to 600 Iowa restaurants will close this year because of they’re losing money due to the rising costs of food and labor.