Oprah Winfrey’s Emotional Revelations Regarding Her Food Obsession and Obesity

It isn’t a secret that Oprah Winfrey has a long-standing battle with her weight. Over the years, the former daytime talk show host’s figure has fluctuated dramatically, maintaining a healthy weight at times before regaining the pounds. Recently, Oprah opened up about her struggles against obesity during a special episode entitled, An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame, and the Weight Loss Revolution. 

She confessed how her love for food threatened to take over her life. It was a vulnerable and raw moment for the TV host but she was still slammed online for promoting weight loss drugs, another indication of how celebrities simply can’t win the approval of their audiences.

While on camera, the 70-year-old was clearly distraught and fighting back tears as she reflected on how the weight loss drug, Ozempic, impacted her life. Oprah revealed that because of the drug, she was no longer “constantly thinking about what her next meal is going to be.”

Oprah admitted, “For 25 years, making fun of my weight was a national sport.” According to her, the medication helped her stop obsessing about food, alleviating some of the pressure she felt.

Online, there were some messages of support, but there were more accusatory messages that condemned her for promoting big pharma through Ozempic. 

The TV special was released a few days after Oprah left her role on the Weight Watchers board, stating that there was a potential conflict of interest. The TV host’s exit caused the shares of Weight Watchers to plummet by almost 20%. After being a Weight Watchers ambassador for almost nine years, she was criticized for taking the easy way out.

To help the share price recover, Oprah brought in Weight Watchers CEO, Simi Sistani, on stage for her TV special. Oprah announced that she left its board so she could have an honest conversation with Simi on the show.

Oprah also welcomed two other guests from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, two global pharmaceutical companies that manufacture Ozempic.

Unfortunately, her efforts were still criticized by some viewers. They accused Oprah of covering her bases. One left a comment in X that read, “Oprah is on TV right now doing a special that is essentially an hour-long commercial for Ozempic, including advocating for giving Ozempic to children. Grim”

Another wrote, “Who else won’t be watching the Oprah special tonight promoting big pharma and pushing Ozempic?”

During the special, Oprah bravely drew the line. She stood her ground against people who continuously and relentlessly shamed her for her weight and for her decision to take Ozempic. She  declared, “I come to this conversation in the hope that we can start releasing the stigma and the shame and the judgment… to stop shaming other people for being overweight or how they chose to lose and not lose weight.”

She continued, “All these years, I thought all of the people who never had to diet were just using their willpower, and they were, for some reason, stronger than me. But now I realize y’all weren’t even thinking about the food. It’s not that you had the willpower. You weren’t even thinking about it. You weren’t obsessing about it. I use it as a tool, combined with hiking three or five miles daily or running. It’s not just one thing; it’s multiple things for me.”

Despite receiving so much backlash, Oprah’s courage is unmistakable as she continues to be open about her struggles and the sheer effort she’s exerted to overcome them.