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On Thursday evening, Oprah Winfrey acknowledged her significant influence in promoting diet culture over the years. During a live event broadcast on YouTube in partnership with WeightWatchers, she candidly addressed her past involvement.
“I want to acknowledge that I have been a steadfast participant in this diet culture,” Winfrey admitted. “Through my platforms, the magazine, the talk show for 25 years, and online, I’ve been a major contributor. I cannot tell you how many weight loss shows and makeovers I have done, and they have been a staple since I’ve been working in television.” She recognized that by focusing on weight, she had set an unrealistic standard for herself and her audience.
The three-hour live special featured notable figures such as Rebel Wilson, Amber Riley, WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani, and various medical experts. The event marked a significant shift for WeightWatchers, moving away from traditional diet culture and towards body acceptance and medical interventions, including drugs like Ozempic.
Sistani emphasized that weight loss isn’t solely about willpower and that diet culture and body shaming are unhealthy. Winfrey, who revealed in December that she added a weight-loss medication to her regimen, stepped down from the WeightWatchers board in February. Her departure, a
year earlier than expected, was amicable and unrelated to any disagreements with the company.
Winfrey also announced her decision to donate her substantial stake in WeightWatchers to the National Museum of African American History andCulture. Reflecting on her departure, Winfrey explained on Jimmy Kimmel In March that she wanted the freedom to discuss various topics withoutpotential conflicts of interest, especially as WeightWatchers now incorporates weight-health medications into their services.
WeightWatchers launched the “GLP-1 Program” in December, catering to members using GLP-1 prescription drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy forweight loss. This program offers access to doctors, daily nutrition plans, insurance coordination, and additional support. The initiative followed WeightWatchers’ acquisition of Sequence, a telehealth company, for over $100 million.
“I was on the board during the discussions about whether WeightWatchers should move into weight loss medications,” Winfrey said. “As someone who struggled with WeightWatchers, I advised that they join this movement or risk being left behind. I supported the acquisition of Sequence and the shift towards medical intervention.”
WeightWatchers now provides a GLP-1 program for those already taking these medications, offering behavioral and nutritional guidance, and atelehealth clinic providing access to certified clinicians and weight loss medications.
Analysts at Goldman Sachs predict that by 2031, approximately 15 million adults in the US will be on these medications, representing about 13% ofthe adult population, excluding diabetic patients.
