*Oprah Winfrey is gushing about shedding 40 lbs. with the help of a weight loss medication.
In a new interview with People, Winfrey, 69, doesn’t name the pharmaceutical she is taking to aid in her weight loss journey but admits a doctor prescribed the meds to help shed pounds.
“The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for,” she told People Magazine.
“I was actually recommending it to people long before I was on it myself. I had an awareness of medications, but felt I had to prove I had the willpower to do it. I now no longer feel that way,” Winfrey revealed.
“I realized I’d been blaming myself all these years for being overweight, and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control,” said Winfrey.
Scroll to continue reading
View this post on Instagram
Her remarks come as celebrities endorse appetite-suppressing drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic, which diabetic patients typically use. Many weight loss supplements and medications are associated with significant side effects, according to health professionals.
In March, WW, formerly WeightWatchers, announced plans to add Wegovy to its program. Winfrey is a board member and investor in the brand.
The media mogul is done being “blamed and shamed” over her weight and said “she now has a better handle” on maintaining a healthier lifestyle.
“I had an awareness of [weight-loss] medications, but felt I had to prove I had the willpower to do it. I now no longer feel that way,” the co-producer of the new “The Color Purple” film told People.
“I was actually recommending it to people long before I was on it myself,” she added.
“Obesity is a disease. It’s not about willpower ― it’s about the brain,” Winfrey said.
READ MORE: Oprah Says Studio Wanted Beyonce or Rihanna to Star In ‘The Color Purple’
