Oprah Winfrey Reveals She Uses Weight-Loss Medication
After years of saying no to weight-loss medication, a powerful panel discussion changed Oprah's mind.
Oprah Winfrey is opening up about her noticeable weight loss. Recently, the talk show guru has been turning heads with a slimmer waistline and her curves shining through her bodycon long dresses while doing press for The Color Purple. In a new cover story for PEOPLE, Oprah revealed that she has a comprehensive diet and exercise plan, and also uses medication to aid in her goals and keep her progress steady. Her weight has fluctuated publicly over the years, and she's partnered with the likes of Weight Watchers. But she says that after years of trying the "natural" way, she learned she'd need further assistance and she's no longer ashamed to discuss what is working for her.
After undergoing knee surgery in 2021, she got serious about losing weight, and keeping it off this time. She began by walking and hiking, surpassing her initial goal and getting upwards of 10 miles a day. From there, she implemented a strict eating schedule. "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," she said, noting that before she tried them herself, she recommended them to friends.
She didn't begin using pharmaceutical aids herself until she participated in a taped panel conversation with weight loss experts and clinicians, called The State of Weight and part of Oprah Daily's Life You Want series. "I had the biggest aha along with many people in that audience," she remembered. "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."
More than anything, she says she learned more about how weight works. "Obesity is a disease. It's not about willpower — it's about the brain," she said.
Oprah turns 70 in January 2024 and says she's only a few pounds shy of her goal. She'll ring in her 70th year feeling better than ever!