Oprah Winfrey Explains Decision to Resign From Weight Watchers Board
Winfrey cited an upcoming television special on weight loss as the reason.
Oprah Winfrey spoke about her decision to leave Weight Watchers after nearly a decade on the board. The celebrity tycoon gave a glimpse into the reasons for her resignation on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, citing an upcoming show about weight loss drugs.
"I decided that because this special was really important to me and I wanted to be able to talk about whatever I want to talk about and Weight Watchers is now in the business of being a weight health company that also administers drug medications for weight," she explained.
"I did not want to have the appearance of any conflict of interest and so, I resigned from the board and I donated all of my shares to the National Museum of African American History… so nobody can say, 'Oh, she's doing that special, she's making money and promoting'… No, you cannot say that."
"Shame, Blame, and the Weight Loss Revolution" is a primetime television special that airs on ABC on March 18 and on Hulu the next day. According to a press release, the show will explore prescription weight loss medications and their impact on culture, the economy, and healthcare.
"Speaking in front of a live studio audience, Oprah gathers the country's leading medical experts and everyday people who are in the battle of one of the biggest health care crises the world has ever known," stated the press release. "For the first time in history, new drugs could prove to be the game changer to stem the tide of people living with obesity, an epidemic which has grown exponentially since the 1970s, costing $173 billion per year in medical costs in the United States alone."
The 70-year-old magnate admitted on Kimmel that she has suffered from weight issues for decades and has lost and gained weight a number of times over the years. The Oprah Winfrey Show also devoted episodes to weight issues, and Winfrey confirmed that she had been taking weight loss medication last year.
"It is a very personal topic for me and for the hundreds of millions of people impacted around the globe who have for years struggled with weight and obesity," Winfrey said in a recent statement. "This special will bring together medical experts, leaders in the space and people in the day-to-day struggle to talk about health equity and obesity with the intention to ultimately release the shame, judgment and stigma surrounding weight."