Oprah Winfrey confirms she's on a weight-loss medication, says she's tired of 'shaming'

Oprah Winfrey confirms she's on a weight-loss medication, says she's tired of 'shaming'

Winfrey said she no longer believes her weight struggles are her fault.

ByKatie Kindelan

December 13, 2023, 2:07 PM

Oprah Winfrey has confirmed she is using a medication to help her maintain her weight loss, which she said has been a work in progress for the past two years.

“I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing,” Winfrey told People magazine. “The fact that there's a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for.”

She continued, “I'm absolutely done with the shaming from other people, and particularly myself.”

Winfrey, who will turn 70 in January, did not name the type of medication she is taking.

Oprah Winfrey attends the World Premiere of Warner Bros.’ “The Color Purple” at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on December 06, 2023 in Los Angeles.Kayla Oaddams/WireImage/Getty Images

Over the past year, use of drugs that can lead to weight loss, including Ozempic and Mounjaro, have skyrocketed in popularity. Earlier this year, weight-loss focused companies including Noom and WeightWatchers — the latter of which Winfrey owns stock in and sits on the board — jumped into the obesity drugs market as well.

Winfrey said she lost weight steadily over the past two years with a combination of diet and exercise, but had an “aha” moment on medication for weight loss this past summer, when she moderated a panel on weight for her Oprah Daily outlet.

During the panel discussion, doctors and experts weighed in alongside Winfrey on the antiquated theory that weight loss is all about willpower. Winfrey said during the discussion that when she first heard about the growing popularity of drugs used for weight loss, she thought of them as “the easy way out.”

Speaking to People, Winfrey said the discussion with doctors led her to change her mind.

“I had the biggest 'aha' along with many people in that audience,” she said. “I realized I'd been blaming myself all these years for being overweight, and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control. Obesity is a disease. It's not about willpower — it's about the brain.”

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Winfrey said she “released my own shame about it” and consulted with her doctor, who prescribed a medication for weight loss.

In addition to taking the medication, Winfrey emphasized that she also continues to drink plenty of water, exercise and eat well.

“I eat my last meal at 4 p.m., drink a gallon of water a day, and use the WeightWatchers principles of counting points,” she said. “I had an awareness of [weight-loss] medications, but felt I had to prove I had the willpower to do it. I now no longer feel that way.”

What to know about medications for weight loss

Obesity is a medical condition that affects nearly 42% of people in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With obesity on the rise, drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, both designed for people with Type 2 diabetes, have surged in popularity over the past year, as they can help people lose weight.

The drugs work by helping the pancreas increase production of insulin to move sugar from the blood into body tissues.

They also slow down the movement of food through the stomach and curb appetite, thereby causing weight loss.

Both Ozempic and Mounjaro are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat Type 2 diabetes, but some doctors prescribe the medication “off-label” for weight loss, as is permissible by the FDA.

Wegovy, a medication that contains the same main ingredient, semaglutide, as Ozempic, is FDA-approved for weight loss.

Last month, the FDA approved another drug, known as Zepbound, as a weight loss management treatment for people with obesity, or those who are overweight with at least one related underlying condition, such as high blood pressure.

As a diabetes drug, it is sold under the brand name Mounjaro, as the two medications contain the same active ingredient, tirzepatide.

Clinical studies show users of the medications can lose between 5% and 20% of their body weight on the medications over time.

Medical specialists point out using medication to lose weight also requires cardio and strength training and changing your diet to one that includes proteins and less processed foods with added sugars.

If someone has achieved weight loss successfully and is no longer overweight or obese, there is no data that shows how safe or efficacious weight loss drugs are to maintain weight loss achieved. When these drugs are used “off-label,” it is usually not covered by insurance and can be costly.

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