Oprah Winfrey has opened up about her lifelong struggle with weight and how she faced stigma because of it.
The 68-year-old media mogul hosted a panel called Oprah Daily’s ‘The Life You Want Class: The State of Weight,’ where she talked about the global obesity and weight crisis that affects 2 billion adults. She was joined by experts in obesity, psychology, and wellness, including Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, Dr. Melanie Jay, Dr. Rachel Goldman, and Sima Sistani, the CEO of WeightWatchers.
Winfrey shared her personal story with the audience, saying, “You all know I’ve been on this journey for most of my life. My highest weight was 237 lbs. I don’t know if there is another public person whose weight struggle has been exploited as much as mine over the years.”
“You all have watched me diet and diet and diet,” she added, admitting that her body always tended to go back to a certain weight.
Winfrey also revealed that she experienced different treatment from people when she weighed over 200 lbs., especially when she went shopping.
"It’s that thing where people are like, ‘Let me show you the gloves. Would you like to look at the handbags? Because we know that there’s nothing in here for you,’ " she said.
{{/usCountry}}"It’s that thing where people are like, ‘Let me show you the gloves. Would you like to look at the handbags? Because we know that there’s nothing in here for you,’ " she said.
{{/usCountry}}“There is a condescension. There is stigma.”
Winfrey said that this was an example of how the world has “shamed people for being overweight forever.”
“And all of us who’ve lived it know that people treat you differently, they just do,” she said.
During the panel, Winfrey also discussed taking Ozempic, a prescription medication for type 2 diabetes that also helps with weight loss. It is one of the brand names for semaglutide and tirzepatide also known as Wegovy and Mounjaro which work in the brain to affect satiety, and are the latest weight loss trend in Hollywood.
Winfrey questioned whether taking the drug was a sign of not accepting her body or not having enough willpower.
"Shouldn’t we all just be more accepting of whatever body you choose to be in? That should be your choice,” Winfrey said.
“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.’ "
Winfrey also said 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.