Oprah Winfrey, a media mogul and philanthropist, has been open about her lifelong struggles with weight. Her audience has witnessed her battles with food addiction, pre-diabetes, and hypothyroidism over the years. Her recent appearance at the premiere of "The Color Purple" in December 2023, left fans amazed at her slim figure. This article delves into Oprah's weight loss journey, exploring the various methods she has employed, including her recent use of weight loss medication.
Oprah's Confession: The Role of GLP-1 Agonists
In a recent episode of "The Oprah Podcast," Winfrey shared new details about her weight loss journey, revealing that she has been using a GLP-1 agonist, a specific type of weight-loss medication. While she hasn't disclosed the specific brand, GLP-1 agonists include well-known medications like Ozempic and Trulicity.
Winfrey explained that taking a GLP-1 agonist gave her a new perspective on weight management. She realized that thin people weren't necessarily relying on willpower alone but experienced a different physiological response to food. "One of the things I realized the very first time I took a GLP-1 was that all these years I thought that thin people just had more willpower, they ate better foods, they were able to stick to it longer, they never had a potato chip, and then I realized the very first time I took the GLP-1 that, 'Oh, they're not even thinking about it. They're only eating when they're hungry, and they're stopping when they're full," she said on the podcast.
She first confirmed that she is taking a weight-loss drug in an interview with People published in December 2023, but did not confirm which medication she was taking.
Shifting Perspectives: From Shame to Acceptance
Winfrey told People magazine that she once thought taking a weight-loss drug would be “the easy way out.” However, she later realized the significance of having medically approved options for weight management. "But she later realized "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. "I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself.”
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She now views it as a valuable tool for managing her weight and maintaining her health. "I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing,” she told People at the time. "It quiets the food noise."
The Decision-Making Process: Acknowledging the Struggle
The decision to try a weight loss drug was not an easy one for her. “There’s a part of me that feels … I’ve got to do it the hard way. I’ve got to keep climbing the mountains. I've got to keep suffering. I’ve got to do that because otherwise I somehow cheated myself,” Winfrey said in September 2023 during a panel on Oprah Daily, called “The State of Weight.”
It was after that discussion that she changed her mind about using a weight-loss drug, Winfrey told People, calling it her "biggest aha" moment: “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.” Frustration with her weight has “occupied five decades of space" in her brain, she noted.
She shared a similar sentiment in a March 2024 interview on CNN's "King Charles."“I couldn’t work out anymore. I can’t climb any faster or run any faster. I was down to eating one meal a day. There’s nothing else I can do,” Oprah recalled of deciding to get some extra help with managing her weight. “When I tell you how many times I have blamed myself because you think, ‘I’m smart enough to figure this out,’ and then to hear all along, it’s you fighting your brain," she added. “The one thing I hope people come away with is knowing that (obesity is) a disease and it’s in the brain."
How GLP-1 Agonists Work
Winfrey said on an episode of "The Oprah Podcast" that she took a "GLP-1," formally known as a GLP-1 agonist, a class of weight loss medications. GLP-1 agonists work by mimicking the hormone GLP-1, which the body releases after eating, helping people feel full and slowing stomach emptying. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, targets one hormone, known as GLP-1. Food and Drug Administration for people with obesity or those who have complications from being overweight. Ozempic and Mounjaro are approved to treat Type 2 diabetes.
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The most common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and constipation. People self-inject the drugs once a week and have to keep taking them to maintain weight loss. Patients can expect to lose 15% to 20% of their body weight, says Dr. Christopher McGowan, a gastroenterologist and obesity medicine specialist who runs a weight-loss clinic in Cary, North Carolina.
A Holistic Approach: Medication, Diet, and Exercise
Winfrey has lost her latest weight using a weight-loss drug and with a healthy diet and exercising. She told People the weight-loss medication is just part of her regimen for maintaining a healthy weight. “I know everybody thought I was on it, but I worked so damn hard. “I intend to keep it that way. … I was on that treadmill today.”
Studies show that weight-loss drugs need to be part of a holistic approach, with some of the strongest results in patients who are also eating a healthy diet and exercising.
Oprah's Weight Loss History: A Lifelong Journey
Winfrey has struggled with her weight for decades, famously losing 67 pounds with a liquid diet in 1988 then regaining the weight as soon as she “returned to real food,” she recalled on Oprah.com. In the March 18 special, she said that she essentially "starved" herself for five months before gaining it all back.
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.
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In 2019, Winfrey revealed she was diagnosed with pre-diabetes before doing WW. She then lost 42 pounds with the program, getting her blood sugar and blood pressure back into normal ranges.
Her goal weight now is 160 pounds, though she told People it’s “not about the number” but about living “a more vital and vibrant life.” As she approached her 70th birthday, her No. 1 concern was her health, Winfrey said, noting she doesn’t live with a fear of death, but with “a conscious acknowledgment that it’s possible at any time.” “(I) recognize what an absolute miracle it is that 70 years on, that heart’s still pumping,” she added.
Weight Watchers: A Points-Based Approach
Since 2015, she has embraced the points-based eating system and shed over 40 pounds. Oprah credits Weight Watchers for improving her blood sugar and blood pressure levels, which helped her overcome pre-diabetes. Oprah announced she was stepping down from the Weight Watchers board of directors. (March 1, 2024) Oprah and WeightWatchers® (WW) teamed up to embrace GLP-1 medications for their clients. The move is raising ethical concerns from the medical community.
Balanced Diet and Exercise Routine
Oprah maintains a balanced 1,700-calorie regime, focusing on good carbohydrates, healthy fats, and proteins. Her diet includes ample fiber and calcium while prioritizing fresh, simple foods to control sodium intake. She follows a routine, combining aerobic workouts six mornings a week with strength training four to five times weekly. The regimen includes power walking, jogging, using a treadmill, elliptical, and rowing machines.
Knee Surgery and Increased Mobility
Oprah revealed in 2022 that she had double knee surgery. Knee surgery helps overweight individuals lose weight by improving their mobility and their physical activity levels.
Bariatric Surgery: Fact or Fiction?
People are speculating about Oprah’s possible bariatric surgery despite years of weight fluctuations. However, she denies rumors of her getting weight loss surgery. She says, “I feel how a lot of people feel about getting bariatric surgery: I’ve got to do it the hard way. Otherwise, I somehow cheated myself.”
“There is no cheating or shame in undergoing bariatric surgery. Obesity is a metabolic disease, and surgical intervention is a definitive tool to help individuals overcome it,” explains Ron Elli, Ph.D., program director at Mexico Bariatric Center® (MBC). MBC Editor speculates that Oprah underwent a bariatric surgery procedure around 2017, and she is using semaglutide medication to maintain her goal weight. It is common to use anti-obesity medications for patients who get surgical intervention but still need additional assistance.
Plastic Surgery: A Firm No
Cosmetic and plastic procedures in Hollywood and modern society are popular to fight aging and enhance the image. However, Winfrey and the editor of O Magazine, Gayle King, have turned down the idea of her getting plastic surgery, including liposuction, breast lift, and chin implant. Media mogul’s hour glass shape and timeless beauty make fans wonder if she had a breast reduction with liposuction.
The Broader Context: Obesity as a Disease
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is a health condition that affects nearly 42% of people in the United States. Bariatric surgery is a sustainable solution, surpassing Ozempic in terms of cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and time efficiency. Patients undergoing bariatric surgery can anticipate an average of a 75% reduction in excess weight in 18 to 24 months.
One of the top procedures, Gastric Sleeve Surgery, or sleeve gastrectomy surgery (VSG), is a minimally invasive operation that removes a large part of the stomach. Weight loss surgery can treat patients with hypothyroidism and prediabetes, such as Oprah. A 2019 study revealed that VSG improved hypothyroidism in 44.5% of patients and eliminated it in 22.2% of individuals. In addition, malabsorptive procedures like roux-en-y gastric bypass can reverse type 2 diabetes as the patient loses weight.
Oprah's Rise to Fame and Influence
From a young age, Oprah displayed a natural talent for public speaking and storytelling. Oprah’s rise to fame began in the 1980s, when she became the host of her audience-participating program, “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Over the 25 years of her show, she has talked to more than 37,000 people. Oprah has conducted interviews with celebrities such as Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Charles Barkley, and others. She is the author of over a dozen books about self-care and healing. Oprah’s attitude toward life has inspired millions and set a standard of self-acceptance and empowerment.
In one of her “Oprah Daily” episodes, she touched on her personal experience of feeling exploited over the years due to her weight. Along with a group of female obesity specialists, she worked to dispel the stigma attached to being larger and promoted body positivity.