Despite previously implying that
Ozempic and Wegovy are the “easy way out,” Oprah Winfrey is now embracing weight loss medication as part of her own health journey.
While chatting about the subject with PEOPLE, the television icon opened up about releasing her “own shame” surrounding the prescription weight loss aids, which have become increasingly popular, especially in Hollywood.
According to Winfrey, she had an “aha” moment during The State of Weight panel in July. “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,” she told the outlet. “Obesity is a disease. It’s not about willpower—it’s about the brain.”
After understanding the science more and consulting with a doctor, Winfrey decided to give it a try for herself. “I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing,” she said. She did not specify which prescription she is currently on.
“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. I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself,” Winfrey continued.
Despite her decision to embrace weight-loss medication, Winfrey says that it’s not a complete solution. Diet and exercise are still a huge part of her journey.
“It’s everything,” she said. “I know everybody thought I was on [weight-loss medication], but I worked so damn hard. I know that if I’m not also working out and vigilant about all the other things, it doesn’t work for me.”
Winfrey was previously critical of the weight loss drug trend. “Shouldn’t we all just be more accepting of whatever body you choose to be in? That should be your choice,” Oprah said during a panel alongside obesity specialists Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford and Dr. Melanie Jay, and psychologist Dr. Rachel Goldman. “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.”