Oprah Faces Judgment She Once Passed on Others Using Weight Loss Drugs
We're all constantly evolving, but when a media icon with a history of judging others for using weight loss drugs reveals she's now trying them herself, the backlash can be intense.
Written By Danielle Darby // EEW Magazine
Two of the most popular scriptural passages say: "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged." - Matthew 7:1-2 (NLT).
Both passages apply here.
Oprah Winfrey, known for her transparency regarding personal struggles, recently found herself facing the same judgment she once passed on others who used weight loss medication.
In a conversation on Jamie Kern Lima's podcast, the 70-year-old media mogul discussed her evolving perspective on weight loss.
Jamie Kern Lima and Oprah Winfrey (Credit: Harpo, Inc)
"I was judgmental about people using weight loss drugs because I have been so judged," she confessed—an admission that underscores a broader human truth that we often mirror the judgment we experience.
The turning point for Oprah, who for years felt pressure to prove that diet and exercise alone could conquer obesity, came in 2023 after discussions with medical professionals. They framed obesity as a disease, not a failure of willpower.
It was an "Aha" moment for Oprah. "I've done hundreds of shows about weight loss and had countless conversations about it, but still carried my own shame," she reflected. "I had a big revelation on that State of Weight on Oprah Daily when one doctor after another said obesity is a disease. I was like, 'I didn't get that memo.'"
This insight proved transformative for her. Oprah began seeing her weight struggles differently, moving away from the notion of weak willpower and toward the theory of biological factors. "What I understood from the State of Weight discussion is that there's something in the brain that allows people like myself to metabolize fat differently," she explained.
Oprah’s journey to this understanding was marked by extreme measures. On her talk show in 1988, she famously showcased a cart with 67 pounds of fat, representing her weight loss using Optifast. Despite not eating for five months, the weight quickly returned once Oprah slipped back into her old eating habits, illustrating the limitations of sheer willpower.
The ABC special “Shame, Blame, and the Weight Loss Revolution” further detailed how using a weight-loss drug (she did not specify which) changed her life and perspective. “All these years, I thought all the people who never had to diet were just using their willpower, and they were for some reason stronger than me,” Oprah said, revealing personal misconceptions that many hold about weight and health.
When Oprah admitted to using weight loss drugs, the reaction was harsh, especially given her long association with WeightWatchers (WW International). Since 2015, she had been an ambassador, and many fans believed she was following an all-natural route. Critics felt her revelation was hypocritical and suspected greed and self-promotion were her motives for aligning with WW.
In response, Oprah stepped down from the WeightWatchers board and donated her shares to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. WeightWatchers stated this move was partly "to eliminate any perceived conflict of interest around her taking weight loss medications."
After starting medication, Oprah realized her relationship with food was different from those who effortlessly maintained their weight. "You weren't thinking about the food! You weren't obsessing about it!" she said. “That is the big thing I learned.”
The special spotlighted GLP-1 agonists, a class of drugs that mimic a hormone to suppress appetite and control blood sugar, helping some patients lose about 20% of their body weight. These medications include Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Zepbound. By 2030, approximately 10% of the U.S. population is projected to use these drugs, with sales expected to surpass $100 billion.
Oprah now feels liberated using medication to manage her weight. "The bottom line is we don't know what the medications do in the long term, but we do know what obesity does in the long term," she pointed out. "So the damage to your body versus taking the risk of 'I'm going to control the weight and manage the weight to the best of my ability.'"
Reflecting on her heaviest weight of 237 pounds and her journey to better health after knee surgery in 2021, Oprah now follows a strict regimen. She eats her last meal at 4 pm, drinks a gallon of water daily, and still adheres to WeightWatchers principles, coupled with regular hikes. Despite being on weight loss medication, she doesn’t rely solely on an injection to reach her goals. "I know that if I'm not also working out and vigilant about all the other things, it doesn't work for me," she said.
Oprah’s decision to open up about her evolved stance on weight-loss drugs has liberated her. Though she was once firmly against anything beyond willpower, work, and discipline, she now states, “I no longer feel that way.”
