Oprah, 71, Opens Up About the Surprising Lesson Ozempic Taught Her About Thin People

Oprah Winfrey said taking a weight-loss medication changed the way she thinks about thin people. The 71-year-old media mogul, who confirmed she uses an unnamed drug to manage her weight, said she used to believe that slimmer people had more self-control.

Speaking on her Super Soul podcast, Winfrey explained, “One of the things that I realized the very first time I took a GLP-1 was that all these years I thought that thin people had more willpower. They ate better foods. They were able to stick to it longer. They never had a potato chip.”

She says what she thought was self-discipline was actually the absence of constant hunger thoughts, sometimes called “food noise.”

Experts have said GLP-1 medications, like Ozempic and Wegovy, can reduce these cravings by slowing digestion and making people feel full. Winfrey added, “I realized the very first time I took the GLP-1 that they’re not even thinking about it. They’re eating when they’re hungry and they’re stopping when they’re full.”

Oprah also reflected on her own experiences with public scrutiny over her weight. “Every week [I was] exploited by the tabloids, anytime any comedian wanted to make fun or make a joke about it, they would make a joke about it. And I accepted it because I thought I deserved it,” she said.

She noted that this natural, intuitive way of eating doesn’t always work for people who struggle with obesity, which is why she found the medication helpful in living a healthier lifestyle.

Oprah’s honesty shows how much society’s focus on weight can affect even someone as successful as her.

Her experience also highlights that weight management isn’t just about willpower, it can involve tools that help the body regulate hunger. Do you think medications like GLP-1 can change the way we think about dieting and self-control? Share your thoughts in the comments.