Oprah Winfrey reveals 'shame' of weight-loss drugs and what happened when she quit

Longtime speech amusement big Oprah Winfrey is opening up astir her caller weight-loss occurrence aft sticking to a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1).

Winfrey, 71, began taking a GLP-1 medicine successful 2023, but attempted to discontinue aft six months to spot if she could suffer value without it, according to a caller interrogation with People Magazine. 

Even erstwhile sticking to her fare and workout routines, the media mogul said she gained backmost 20 pounds aft stopping the drug.

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"It's going to beryllium a beingness thing," she shared. "I'm connected precocious humor unit medication, and if I spell disconnected the precocious humor unit medication, my humor unit is going to spell up. The aforesaid happening is existent now, I realize, with these medications. I’ve proven to myself [that] I request it."

Winfrey revealed that her "default weight," astatine 211 pounds, was not healthy, arsenic she was pre-diabetic and had precocious cholesterol.

Longtime speech amusement big Oprah Winfrey is opening up astir her caller weight-loss occurrence aft sticking to a GLP-1. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

In a caller interrogation with CBS News, Winfrey revealed that she is present down to 155 pounds, which she aims to maintain.

"The operation of the medicine and hiking each time and absorption grooming has fixed maine the assemblage that I had erstwhile I was moving a marathon," she said. "So, I was 40 and feeling truly good, but to beryllium capable to beryllium 71 and consciousness that I americium successful the champion signifier of my beingness feels amended than it did erstwhile I was 40."

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In a caller occurrence of "The Oprah Podcast" this week, Winfrey welcomed impermanent Dr. Ania Jastreboff, an endocrinologist and subordinate prof astatine the Yale School of Medicine, to sermon GLP-1 weight-loss medications and her ain idiosyncratic journey. The 2 besides co-authored the caller publication "Enough."

Winfrey shared that she initially questioned utilizing weight-loss drugs owed to the stigma surrounding them.

(Left) Oprah Winfrey speaks during Oprah's 2020 Vision: Your Life successful Focus Tour successful February 2020. (Right) Oprah Winfrey astatine the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala successful October 2025. (Steve Jennings/Getty Images; Lanna Apisukh/WWD via Getty Images)

"One of the reasons I was reluctant to usage them successful the beginning, erstwhile I was trying to suffer value aft my genu surgery, [is] due to the fact that I besides felt it's cheating, it's the casual mode out," she said. "I've got to beryllium this 1 past clip I could bash it by myself. And I don't privation radical saying I took the casual mode out."

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"I deliberation that that's 1 of the large issues that radical who are present unfastened to utilizing the drugs are experiencing from their friends oregon colleagues, their families and besides wrong themselves."

As 1 of the astir influential figures successful American media, Winfrey said she was "publicly humiliated" for her value for 25 years.

"I don't privation radical saying I took the casual mode out."

"Every clip immoderate comedian wanted to marque amusive oregon marque a gag astir it — they could marque a gag astir it. And I accepted it due to the fact that I thought I deserved it," she said. "I accepted it. I was shamed by it and I received it, due to the fact that I thought, ‘Well, they’re right.’ Now I cognize they were truthful wrong."

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Winfrey noted that galore overweight people, adjacent those who aren’t connected TV each day, person experienced the aforesaid "level of shame and embarrassment" for being incapable to power their weight.

"Somehow, successful society, we deliberation that however overmuch we measurement is successful our control. And it’s not. Our encephalon is successful control." (AP)

"It feels similar the punishment you deserve," Winfrey said.

"It’s perfectly the opposite," Jastreboff responded. "And nary of this is successful our control. Somehow, successful society, we deliberation that however overmuch we measurement is successful our control. And it’s not. Our encephalon is successful control."

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Winfrey likened this to the encephalon of an addict, noting that obesity is present considered a illness conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic addiction.

"All these years, I thought that bladed radical … conscionable had much willpower, they ate amended foods, they were capable to instrumentality to it longer, they ne'er had a murphy chip," she said.

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"And past I realized the precise archetypal clip I took the GLP-1 that … oh, they’re not adjacent reasoning astir it. They’re lone eating erstwhile they’re hungry, and they’re stopping erstwhile they’re full."

Jastreboff agreed that portion obesity is "not an addiction," the "food noise," oregon impulse to eat, uses the aforesaid pathways successful the brain.

Winfrey aims to interruption the misconception that taking a GLP-1 is "taking the casual mode out." (iStock)

The treatment continued with impermanent Amy (last sanction withheld), a GLP-1 diligent who mislaid 160 pounds successful 1 year. She shared that successful her experience, shaming by the nationalist persists. Jastreboff responded that determination is "no winning."

"You’re shamed if you person obesity. You’re shamed if you don’t effort to suffer weight. You’re shamed if you suffer weight," the doc said. "You’re shamed if you usage the medicines, if you don’t usage the medicines … there’s virtually nary winning."

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"What’s close is to halt shaming and blaming radical … [when] you’re taking attraction of your health."

GLP-1 medications person been linked to respective broadside effects, chiefly gastrointestinal successful nature. These commonly see nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and abdominal discomfort. Less often reported effects see fatigue, dizziness and reactions astatine the injection site. 

People funny successful taking GLP-1s should consult a doc astir recommended dosage and imaginable hazard factors.