Oprah Winfrey Opens up About Quitting Glp-1 Drugs, Her Weight, and Her Relationship With Food

view original post

Oprah Winfrey has finally answered the question everyone has been asking. After a year of speculation regarding her fluctuating weight, the 71-year-old icon has dropped a bombshell revelation in a new People magazine cover story. Winfrey admitted that she secretly quit taking GLP-1 weight loss medications for 12 full months. She stopped “cold turkey” on her 70th birthday in January 2024 to prove she could manage her weight without medication.

The experiment did not go as planned. Winfrey revealed that despite her rigorous hiking and diet routine, the “food noise” returned with a vengeance. She regained 8 lbs in a slow, painful creep that taught her a harsh lesson about biology versus willpower.

 

A lingering sense of shame drove Winfrey’s decision to quit. Even after publicly embracing weight-loss aids in 2023, she admitted she still felt the need to prove she wasn’t taking the “easy way out.”

“I tried to beat the medication,” Winfrey told People. “I said, ‘I’m going to see if the science is right. I want to see if I can do without it.’”

For the first few months, she held steady. But without the medication regulating her appetite, her body’s natural set point took over. She described the return of intense cravings and a biological drive to overeat that no amount of willpower could suppress. By the end of the year, the scale had moved up significantly.

The failed experiment led to a major breakthrough for the star. She realized that obesity is a chronic condition that requires management rather than a temporary problem to be fixed.

“It is going to be a lifetime thing,” she explained. She compared the weight loss shots to other essential prescriptions. “I am on high blood pressure medication. If I go off the high blood pressure medication, my blood pressure is going to go up. The same thing is true now, I realize, with these medications. I have proven to myself I need it.”

This admission strikes a massive blow against the stigma surrounding drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro. Winfrey is effectively telling her millions of fans that needing medical help is not a moral failing. It is simply healthcare.

Winfrey is channeling this new understanding into her latest project. She has co-authored a new book titled Enough: Your Health, Your Weight and What It’s Like to Be Free, which hits shelves on January 13.

The book details the science of “food noise” and the genetic factors that make weight loss nearly impossible for some people without intervention. Winfrey hopes her story will help others stop blaming themselves for their biology.

“I am absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself,” she declared. “I want people to have the information, whatever you choose to do with it.”

Pre-order Oprah’s new book ‘Enough’ here – amazon.com/Enough-Your-Health-Weight-Free/dp/1250289999]

What This Means for Her Fans

 

Winfrey’s honesty offers a rare look at the reality of long-term weight management. Her journey from “Weight Watchers” spokesperson to GLP-1 advocate mirrors the cultural shift in how we understand obesity.

By admitting that she “failed” to maintain her weight without meds, she is validating the experiences of millions who have faced the same struggle. It is a powerful message to start 2026. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is admit you need help.

Do you agree with Oprah that weight loss medication is a “lifetime” commitment? Share your thoughts in the comments below.