Megyn Kelly Blasts Oprah for Calling Obesity a ‘Disease’ and Pushing Weight-Loss Drugs

Megyn Kelly is calling out Oprah Winfrey over her new book and the promotion of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. The conservative commentator took aim at Winfrey during her SiriusXM show, The Megyn Kelly Show, saying the book pushes the idea that obesity is a disease rather than a matter of personal choice. Kelly didn’t hold back.

“The whole theory of this book is that obesity is a disease that happens to you and all those efforts were for not because she didn’t have willpower, but because she has a disease,” Kelly told her audience on January 16. She also criticized Winfrey’s claim that the medication helped silence her “food noise,” calling it a “f**** lie.”

The GLP-1 drugs Kelly references are a type of diabetes medication that many celebrities now use for weight loss. According to Harvard Health, these medications “act in the brain to reduce hunger and act on the stomach to delay emptying, so you feel full for a longer time.” While they can work, Kelly argued the larger message is problematic.

“I have not been obese my whole life … I constantly think about food too. It’s called being human,” she explained. Kelly says food cravings are a part of everyday life for most people and aren’t necessarily a medical problem that requires drugs. Her co-host, Maureen Callahan, agreed, calling Winfrey’s stance “highly irresponsible.”

Kelly also made it clear she doesn’t have a problem with the medications themselves, but she objects to the idea that people aren’t responsible for their choices. “It’s a copout,” she said, criticizing Winfrey for allegedly using the book for attention. “She saw yet another way to get herself into the news and get her face back on camera. Which is the only thing that makes her happy, and she used it.”

Oprah Winfrey, 71, co-wrote the book Enough: Your Health, Your Weight and What It’s Like to Be Free with Dr. Ania M. Jasreboff. In it, she shares her struggle with obesity and explains that she discovered in 2023 that “overeating doesn’t cause obesity. Obesity causes overeating.” She also admitted that stopping the GLP-1 medication caused her to gain 20 pounds in a year, making it clear she now sees the drugs as a long-term necessity.

“It’s going to be a lifetime thing. I’m on high blood pressure medication, and 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’ve proven to myself I need it,” Winfrey explained.

Winfrey has been open about her weight loss journey for decades, often making it part of her public image. She was previously a major shareholder of WeightWatchers and continues to advocate for medical approaches to weight management. Her empire also includes producing projects like the musical adaptation of The Color Purple and hosting high-profile interviews.

Megyn Kelly, meanwhile, has built a strong independent media presence since leaving Fox News and NBC. Her podcast is a top performer on SiriusXM, and her YouTube content reaches millions of viewers. She often challenges Hollywood narratives and celebrity activism, making her clash with Winfrey part of a long-running pattern of cultural commentary.

Kelly concluded her segment by emphasizing that dealing with food cravings is part of human life. “It’s a reward. We all love it. You eat out of boredom. Millions of Americans who have never been obese have that food conversation in their head, but they managed to say no,” she said.

Share your thoughts in the comments if you agree with Megyn that “food noise” is just human nature or with Oprah that obesity is a disease requiring medical intervention.