After Denying Using Ozempic, Oprah Winfrey Admits To Taking Weight Loss Medications
For years, Oprah Winfrey’s dramatic weight loss has been a subject of public speculation. Because of the drastic changes to her body and the public shaming that ensued, the talk show host has had to deny taking drugs like Ozempic in her efforts to lose weight.
Today, the Queen of Talk is changing her tune. She admits to using weight-loss medication to transform her silhouette. After dodging countless rumors about her weight, she finally revealed that she was “done with the shaming.”
During her conversation with People, Oprah said, “I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing.” Despite the revelation, Oprah still didn’t share the name of the drug that she was using.
She continued, “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. I’m done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself.” Oprah added that she recommended the weight loss aid to other people before taking it herself.
Oprah said that she took the medication before Thanksgiving because she knew that she would be in the middle of two solid weeks of eating due to back-to-back gatherings. Thanks to the drug, she managed to gain only half a pound instead of her usual eight pounds.
As she shared more details about her weight loss journey, Oprah revealed that she is now just seven pounds above her goal weight of 160 pounds. She was quick to clarify, however, that “it’s not about the number.”
After undergoing knee surgery in 2021, Oprah realized that she needed to improve her health and lead a more vibrant life.
With a new and improved lifestyle, the broadcast icon shared that her last meal is at 4 PM and she drinks a gallon of water daily. She also incorporated the principles of WeightWatchers in counting calories and has been taking regular hikes.
Oprah believes her health and fitness routine is integral to her weight loss journey. She stated, “It’s everything. I know everybody thought I was on it, but I worked so damn hard. I know that it doesn’t work for me if I’m not also working out and vigilant about all the other things.”
She went on, “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.”
Oprah revealed that she felt encouraged to try medical weight loss drugs after being part of a panel discussion in July where weight loss and obesity were discussed with clinicians and weight loss experts.
That was when Oprah had her aha moment. “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,” she said.
