“I don’t want the lesson of the GLP-1 revolution to be that eating less is always better,” writes Gregory Gourdet, a chef on tirzepatide, a GLP-1 medication. 

In the essay, he describes enjoying food more now that the “food noise” is gone and he can recognize his previous pattern of emotional eating. Now that he’s on tirzepatide:

When I’m actually hungry, I want food that delivers. I want something nutrient-dense and deeply flavorful — protein, fruit, vegetables, grains, spice, acid, texture — food that satisfies me physically and gastronomically. 

Gourdet’s essay’s ultimate prediction? Society’s focus will change from a focus on food volume to nutrition density. More “value from what we eat,” in his words. Extending this analogy, if GLP-1 use continues to grow, perhaps more people will take the time to be present in the moment and truly savor every aspect of a particular dish. 

That sounds lovely. But as gangbusters as GLP-1 sales and use continue to be, stopping GLP-1 drugs is increasingly a common occurrence, too. For example, AARP reports that older adults may be one cohort more likely to get off GLP-1 drugs due to side effect discomfort, high costs, or insurance challenges.

Weight Watchers, a business nearly obliterated by this new class of medications, yearns for the rotund good old days when their stock price was high and society’s weight loss success rate was low. That might be returning. Today Weight Watchers recommends tapering off GLP-1s slowly with your physician’s assistance (and perhaps a subscription, sales of which are up 32% year over year as the company has also embraced selling GLP-1 medications).

The science, so far, indicates that GLP-1 cessation almost guarantees weight regain. In fact, the gain is approximately a pound a month, with many gaining all the weight back within about two years, according to a review of 37 studies. 

For people who have decided to quit GLP-1s, eating mindfulness is a common recommendation offered as a coping strategy to avoid weight gain and combat the self-reported increases in “food noise.” But against this backdrop, “stop and smell the salad” alone won’t work. Worse, for some, eating mindfulness — the very activity that should be a positive thing — can easily tip into destructive obsessiveness, leading to anorexia, bulimia, or other food-related disorders.

So what does work for weight loss without medication? Fortunes have been made and lost on this question. One thing we know is that to be successfully freed from addiction — to food, substances, or activities — requires addressing the root cause of stress and the displacement behavior.

Meanwhile, these blockbuster GLP-1 medications continue to make headlines as scientists discover benefits beyond diabetes control. For example, the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry recently released research indicating GLP-1 drugs are linked to lower kidney failure risk in bipolar patients. AddictionNews has and will continue covering GLP-1s given their close association with curbing various addictive behaviors.   

As our chef wrote in his opinion piece, “Food is pleasure. Food is culture. Food is celebration. There are meals worth surrendering to if we have the privilege to have them.” 

Privilege, too, to be able to identify and address the sources of stress in our lives, from which all addictions arise. 

Written by Katie McCaskey. First published November 3, 2026.

Sources:

“I’m a Chef on a GLP-1. I Believe the Future of Food Is About to Change Dramatically.” Men’s Health, October 26, 2026.

“What Happens When You Stop Taking a GLP-1?,” Kristen Fischer, AARP, January 12, 2026.

“GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Risk of Kidney Replacement Therapy and Health Care Utilization in Bipolar Disorder With Chronic Kidney Disease,” Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, October 5, 2026.

“Weaning off a GLP-1? Tips for the transition,” Harvard Women’s Health Watch, March 16, 2026.

“Weight regain after cessation of medication for weight management: systematic review and meta-analysis,” The BMJ, January 7, 2026.

Image Copyright: Demkat.