GLP-1s put a damper on the dinner group fun after some friends begin taking the weightloss medications when others don’t. Advice columnist Eric Thomas weighs in.
Dear Eric:
I’m part of a group of six women who get together every three months for dinner to catch up on our lives. We rotate on who decides where to eat. We have been doing this for four years now.
My question revolves around eating with GLP-1 users. There are now four women in the group using GLP-1s. Two are diabetics, two use it for weight loss. I and one other are not using them.
As you can imagine with six people eating and talking, we would usually be at a restaurant for one-and-a-half to two hours. Now it seems everything is so rushed.
The women on these medications are done really fast. The other woman and I feel rushed, and sometimes the waitresses see the others done and we feel we have to be done too. We have even stopped eating the salads.
What used to be an enjoyable time for all of us has turned into not fun for the other woman and me. It’s not relaxing and enjoyable anymore.
We have suggested other things like craft classes or walks, but it never works out.
Any suggestions for how to make this enjoyable again for me and the other friend? Or are we just the odd women out now?
– Dining Out
Dear Dining:
Is it possible for any of the group members to host at her house? This would alleviate the pressure to pay the check and leave. Each member could pitch in the cost of the meal toward food or catering. Or you could do it potluck-style, which might help people who are on specialized diets.
If hosting at home isn’t doable, consider adding a second location to your dinner plans, like a tea house or a dessert shop. These places might be better equipped for lingering with conversation than a restaurant would be anyway. Or meet up for a round of drinks or coffees before sitting down to dinner.
It’ll probably help to talk about this at the group level. If the shared goal is to find a way to talk for two hours and meals aren’t taking two hours anymore, you’re going to need to be creative, but you don’t have to find the solution on your own.
R. Eric Thomas (he/him) is a national bestselling author, playwright, and screenwriter. His accomplishments include “Eric Reads the News,” a daily humor column covering pop culture and politics, serving as the interim Prudie for the advice column “Dear Prudence,” and “Congratulations, The Best Is Over.”
Send questions to eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.
©2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Find more words of wisdom on what to do when GLP-1s change dinner group dynamics – from questioning who a funeral is for, being too old to host, holiday inclusion dynamics, and more:
Boomer Advice for Life department
For advice targeted to senior adults and their families – caregiving, grandparenting, retirement communities, and more:
Asking Eric on SeniorGuide.com
