Oprah Winfrey admits to taking weight-loss drug, says she is 'done with the shaming'

Oprah Winfrey admitted to using a weight-loss drug to maintain her weight, but did not name the type of medication she is taking.

The American talk-show host, who turned 70 in January, told People Magazine that she uses the drug as a "tool to manage not yo-yoing."

"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," Winfrey said.

"I'm absolutely done with the shaming from other people, and particularly myself," she added.

The use of drugs that help with weight loss, including Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, has skyrocketed in popularity over the last few months.

Other celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Amy Schumer, and Chelsea Handler have previously talked about taking Ozempic specifically, which is a diabetes medication that is now being used for weight loss.

Speaking about her weight-loss journey, Winfrey told People that having knee surgery in 2021 prompted her to start setting new health goals for herself.

"I started hiking and setting new distance goals each week. I could eventually hike three to five miles every day and a 10-mile straight-up hike on weekends," she said. "I felt stronger, more fit and more alive than I’d felt in years."

Winfrey added: "I eat my last meal at 4 o’clock, drink a gallon of water a day, and use the WeightWatchers principles of counting points.

"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."

Winfrey, who has openly struggled with her weight for decades, has been on the board of the weight-loss company WeightWatchers since 2015, and also owns stock.

Earlier this year, the company, which offers subscribers meal plans with the goal of losing excess weight, announced that it would be jumping into the obesity drugs market.

It said members would now be able to acquire weight loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and tablet options like Rybelsus.

A spokesperson for WeightWatchers did not immediately respond to request for comment.

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