Oprah is set to defend her use of the weight loss drug Ozempic in a new documentary called “An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution” airing tonight.
In a preview clip, Oprah hit back at those who “shame” others for using drugs to lose weight, saying obesity is a disease.
“The number one thing I hope people come away with is knowing that [obesity] is a disease, and it’s in the brain,” Oprah said.
“It is conclusively known that the conditions of overweight and obesity are complex, chronic disease states, not character flaws… so they should be managed accordingly,” obesity medicine physician Dr. Jen Ashton stated.
“Oh, I love that so much, Dr. Jen,” Winfrey said. “It’s a disease, not a character flaw.”
She said, “I decided that because this special was really important to me and I wanted to be able to talk about whatever I wanted 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 resigned from the Weight Watchers board recently over potential conflicts of interest given the company now offers weight loss medications.
“I did not want to have the appearance of any conflict of interest,” she said.
“So I resigned from the board and donated all of my shares to the National Museum of African American History and Culture,” Oprah added.
“So nobody can say, ‘Oh, she’s doing that special, she’s making money, promoting.’ No, you cannot say that,” she said.
In the documentary, Oprah interviews people who have used drugs like Ozempic and professionals in the field, hoping viewers understand obesity as a disease rather than a character flaw.
Oprah has struggled with her weight for decades and says Ozempic was a helpful tool for her after knee surgery helped her develop healthier habits.
