Oprah Winfrey has revealed why she left her nearly 10-year post as a WeightWatchers board member last month.
Her resignation was motivated by her work on an upcoming TV special on the rise of prescription weight-loss drugs, she said during a Thursday appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
“An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution” airs Monday on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu. During the broadcast, filmed in front of a live studio audience, the 70-year-old media mogul will sit down with medical experts and patients to discuss prescription weight-loss drugs, including Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy.
“I decided that because this special was really important to me and I wanted to be able to talk about whatever I want to talk about, and WeightWatchers is now in the business of being a weight health company that also administers drug medications for weight, I did not want to have the appearance of any conflict of interest,” Winfrey told Kimmel.
Winfrey added that she donated her company shares to the National Museum of African American History and Culture “so nobody can say, ‘Oh, she’s doing that special, she’s making money.’”
This week on Oprah: An icon’s legacy, weight-loss rumors, caresses from Drew B. and a Smithsonian portrait
Oprah Winfrey had a busy week discussing what legacy means to her, addressing weight-loss rumors, unveiling a Smithsonian portrait and lighting the Empire State Building purple.
Dec. 13, 2023
In December, Winfrey disclosed to People that she had been using an unspecified weight-loss drug in tandem with lifestyle changes to maintain a healthy weight.
“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,” she said in the cover story. “I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing.”
Up until then, Winfrey said she’d been tied to the idea that maintaining a healthy weight was a matter of sheer willpower.
She told Kimmel on Thursday that following double knee surgery in 2021, she promised God she would get in shape if he helped her walk again. She ate well, gritting her teeth as she slowly worked her way up from a few daily steps to a two-hour mile, she said.
“I felt like I had to do it my way, and had to prove that I could do it on my own even though I was hearing all along people talking about the medications,” she told the talk show host.
Throughout her decades-long career, Winfrey said, “I’ve been in the storm of losing the weight, gaining it back, losing the weight, gaining it back. And what I realized when I listened to what the doctor said, that you are always going to put it back on, and it’s like holding your breath under water and trying not to rise. You are always going to rise.”
New weight-loss drugs are out of reach for millions of older Americans because Medicare won’t pay
Obesity drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are capturing the attention of celebrities and showing promising results in helping people shed pounds.
Dec. 28, 2023
In addition to the science behind obesity, the special will address the granular details of prescription weight-loss medications: who they’re intended for, their short-term and long-term side effects and why nobody wants to talk about them.
“It is a very personal topic for me and for the hundreds of millions of people impacted around the globe who have for years struggled with weight and obesity,” Winfrey said in a statement about the prime-time event. “This special will bring together medical experts, leaders in the space and people in the day-to-day struggle to talk about health equity and obesity with the intention to ultimately release the shame, judgment and stigma surrounding weight.”
“For the first time in history, new drugs could prove to be the game changer to stem the tide of people living with obesity, an epidemic which has grown exponentially since the 1970s, costing $173 billion per year in medical costs in the United States alone,” the network said in the statement.
More to Read
-
For companies in the Ozempic-fueled weight-loss economy, it’s survival of the fittest
July 18, 2024
-
Dr. Jen Ashton is saying goodbye to ‘Good Morning America’ and ABC News after 13 years
June 27, 2024
-
Star fitness influencer Kendall Toole is leaving Peloton: ‘I’ll see you in the next chapter’
June 14, 2024
FAQs
Oprah Winfrey has revealed why she left her nearly 10-year post as a WeightWatchers board member last month. Her resignation was motivated by her work on an upcoming TV special on the rise of prescription weight-loss drugs, she said during a Thursday appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Why did Oprah really leave WeightWatchers? ›
Oprah Winfrey resigned from the WeightWatchers board after almost 10 years to avoid a conflict of interest.
How much has Oprah lost on WW? ›
And in January 2017, Winfrey announced she had lost 42 pounds working the program. (Meanwhile, WeightWatchers reported four straight quarters of revenue growth.) By then, however, the internet had another take on her journey.
What did Oprah say about Ozempic? ›
1 concern was her health, Winfrey told People in December 2023. “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 said.
What is Oprah's weight loss medication? ›
These medications include Ozempic and Mounjaro (which are approved to treat Type 2 diabetes, but are also used off-label for weight loss) and Wegovy and Zepbound (which are approved as anti-obesity medications).
What happened to the founder of WeightWatchers? ›
Jean Evelyn Nidetch (October 12, 1923 – April 29, 2015) was an American businessperson and the founder of Weight Watchers. Brooklyn, New York, U.S. Parkland, Florida, U.S. She died on April 29, 2015, of natural causes at her home in Parkland, Florida, at the age of 91.
How much does Oprah Winfrey weigh today? ›
Now: 176 lbs.
What did Kelly Clarkson use to lose weight? ›
Back then, to lose the weight, Clarkson focused on a lectin-free diet, she told Extra. Lectins are the proteins that bind carbohydrates. (Talk to a health professional before making any major changes to your diet, such as removing carbs.)
How did Adele lose weight? ›
She divided her workouts
Adele divided her workouts into several routines per day to achieve her weight loss goals. "I got quite addicted to it," she admitted to British Vogue in 2021. “So I do my weights in the morning, then I normally hike or I box in the afternoon, and then I go and do my cardio at night," she said.
Is Oprah Winfrey diabetic? ›
In 1992, Winfrey reached 237 pounds, the most she ever weighed, she said during the “The State of Weight” panel discussion. She recalled feeling frustrated that no matter what she did, her body always wanted to go back to a certain weight. In 2019, Winfrey revealed she was diagnosed with pre-diabetes before doing WW.
Kardashian has denied using Ozempic or any other medication to help her achieve a healthier weight.
Does Gayle King use Ozempic? ›
She hasn't discussed Ozempic.
While Gayle hasn't discussed using Ozempic or other weight loss medication, Oprah has been very transparent about using medication to aid in weight loss after not being able to on her own. "I couldn't work out anymore. I can't climb any faster or run any faster.
What is the Ozempic face? ›
The term refers to a hollowness in the cheeks or extra skin that can show up when you lose fat in your face. But “Ozempic face” is not a medical term. In fact, use of the term can increase the stigma around weight, making light of conditions and adding to the long list of negative terms assigned to obesity.
Did Adele use Ozempic? ›
Adele's 100-pound weight loss was primarily achieved through exercise and lifestyle changes, not medication like Ozempic. The singer's workout routine is intense, including three daily sessions: weights in the morning, hiking or boxing in the afternoon, and cardio at night.
Oprah Winfrey Weight Loss: Star Talks Obesity ...TODAY.comhttps://www.today.com ›
Is Oprah Winfrey taking Ozempic? The talk show host says she's using a weight-loss drug after appearing much slimmer at "The Color Purple" premier...
Oprah Winfrey, 70, shares how she used weight-loss medication, regular exercise, and nutrition to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Oprah Winfrey is exploring how weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro can help treat obesity by reducing appetite and food noise.
Oprah Winfrey has revealed why she left her nearly 10-year post as a WeightWatchers board member last month. Her resignation was motivated by her work on an upcoming TV special on the rise of prescription weight-loss drugs, she said during a Thursday appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
How much does WW pay Oprah? ›
In addition to the $43.2 million Winfrey paid for her initial stake, she was awarded stock options by the company over the years. Once the initial payment and exercise costs of the options were stripped out, Winfrey netted $221 million from the stock sales, Verity data shows.
How did Oprah lose all her weight? ›
Weight loss medication isn't the only tool in Oprah's kit: She's also an avid exerciser. During her weight loss special, she told viewers that she hikes three to five miles per day and also does "weight resistance training.” Back in 2017, she told The Hollywood Reporter that she hits her home gym soon after waking up.
Does Oprah run WeightWatchers? ›
Oprah Winfrey revealed the real reason she decided to part ways with WeightWatchers last month after nearly 10 years of working with them. Oprah Winfrey is setting the record straight on her WeightWatchers exit.
