Oprah Winfrey has given her opinion on the trend of using medications for weight loss, and in the star’s opinion, it would’ve been “the easy way out” to utilize a drug like Ozempic on her own weight loss journey.
Oprah, a spokesperson and shareholder for WeightWatchers, recently hosted a panel for Oprah Daily called “The Life You Want Class: The State of Weight,” in which the television personality discussed the weight crisis and her own recent 40-lb. weight loss. During this discussion, which included the CEO of WeightWatchers as well as several physicians, the topic of weight loss drugs came up, which was a divisive topic to the health guru.
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Oprah Winfrey Calls Ozempic Use 'Easy Way Out' For Weight Loss
During the "State of Weight" conversation, Oprah was joined by WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani along with obesity specialists Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford and Dr. Melanie Jay, along with psychologist Dr. Rachel Goldman.
Ozempic is an FDA-approved prescription medication for people with type 2 diabetes, and along with similar medications Wegovy and Mounjaro, the drug has become used more and more often by those trying to lose weight. This is due to their ability to work in the brain and impact satiety, leading to the shedding of pounds. It's become a recent trend in Hollywood, with several celebrities being "accused" of utilizing it for their weight loss, and others like Amy Schumer candidly discussing their own experiences trying the medication.
On the panel, Oprah shared that she had thoughts about taking Ozempic to achieve weight loss. "Shouldn't we all just be more accepting of whatever body you choose to be in? That should be your choice," Winfrey said. "Even when I first started hearing about the weight loss drugs, at the same time I was going through knee surgery, and I felt, 'I've got to do this on my own.' Because if I take the drug, that's the easy way out.'" She also elaborated on her long-spanning journey with her health and public speculation about her fluctuating weight, with critics "[shaming her] in the tabloids every week for about 25 years," saying that she "[didn't] have the willpower" to keep the weight off.
One physician on the panel, obesity medicine expert Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, remarked that "obesity is a chronic disease" with no relation to "willpower": "It's hard to see you ostracized in the way that you've been," she told Winfrey. "Because this isn't about willpower. It’s not your fault—It's how our bodies regulate weight and each of us is different, each of us is unique, not one is superior to another. We're just different and acting on those differences and treating the differences in the heterogeneity of the population is how we're going to actually make change in this disease."
Oprah herself has also discussed her recent 40-lb. weight loss after recovering from double knee surgeries in 2021. "As I was rehabilitating, I started hiking. Everyday, I tried to hike more and do more," she said in October 2022. "My appreciation for every organ and every limb has expanded exponentially."
