Oprah Winfrey Says She Wrestled with Thoughts on Ozempic, Wegovy: 'If I Take the Drug, That's the Easy Way Out'

Oprah Winfrey is joining the conversation surrounding using type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic for weight loss.

The media mogul, 68, recently hosted a panel, Oprah Daily’s "The Life You Want Class: The State of Weight," discussing the obesity and weight crisis, which affects 2 billion adults globally. She held the conversation alongside obesity specialists Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford and Dr. Melanie Jay, and psychologist Dr. Rachel Goldman.

Winfrey — a board member and shareholder for WeightWatchers — was also joined by Sima Sistani, CEO of WeightWatchers, which recently started offering a telehealth treatment option for new weight loss drugs.

During the panel, Winfrey revealed that she’s had some thoughts about taking Ozempic, an FDA-approved prescription medication for people with type 2 diabetes. 

It's one of the brand names for semaglutide and tirzepatide — also known as Wegovy and Mounjaro — which works in the brain to impact satiety, and is the latest Hollywood weight loss trend.

"Shouldn't we all just be more accepting of whatever body you choose to be in? That should be your choice,” Winfrey said during the panel. “Even when I first started hearing about the weight loss drugs, at the same time I was going through knee surgery, and I felt, 'I've got to do this on my own.' Because if I take the drug, that's the easy way out.'"

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Winfrey also explained that she was “shamed in the tabloids every week about for 25 years” for “not having the willpower” when it comes to her weight loss journey.

Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine physician, emphasized that “obesity is a chronic disease” and “willpower” isn’t a word she uses when it comes to her patients.

“It's hard to see you ostracized in the way that you've been. Because this isn't about willpower. It’s not your fault,” she told Winfrey. “It's how our bodies regulate weight and each of us is different, each of us is unique, not one is superior to another. We're just different and acting on those differences and treating the differences in the heterogeneity of the population is how we're going to actually make change in this disease.”

Winfrey has been vocal about her health and wellness journey after revealing in October 2022 that she recovered from double knee surgeries the year prior.

At the time, she shared the health update during her "The Life You Want" class, which was focused on gratitude. Winfrey noted that she specifically resonated with one guest who said she was grateful for every organ and every limb.

"I had knee surgery in August, and then I had another knee surgery in November," she recalled. "When I came home the first time, I literally could not lift my leg. I couldn't lift my heel off of the bed, and I vowed if I was ever able to get up, walk around, and move again — that I would take advantage of movement, exercise, and of being able to be fully in my body."

Winfrey explained that she’s maintained her health commitment by hiking and staying active since the surgeries.

"As I was rehabilitating, I started hiking. Everyday, I tried to hike more and do more," she added at the time. "My appreciation for every organ and every limb has expanded exponentially. So, you mentioning that really brought that home to me."