Oprah Winfrey admits she gained 20lbs during drug hiatus

OprahWinfrey gained back a stone and a half after she stopped takingweight loss medication last year. 

The American television host, who will celebrate her 72nd birthday at the end of the month, had long battled weight issues throughout her life until 2023, when she started using a GLP-1 medication that hasn’t been revealed.

She was motivated to take the medication, which suppresses hunger by targeting appetite-related hormones and reducing ‘food noise,’ following a documentary that portrayed obesity as a medical condition rather than a personal shortcoming.

At her heaviest, she weighed 237 pounds (16.9 stones/107 kilograms), but after taking the medication, she lost approximately 50 pounds (3.5 stones/23 kilograms).

However, sSpeaking on a US TV programThe Today ShowYesterday, Oprah shared that after discontinuing her medication last year, the weight started to return – and she regained almost half of it.

She stated, “I stopped taking the medications for the entire previous year, and I gained 20 pounds as I wanted to see how it would affect me.”

Because everyone was saying, ‘you’re going to gain the weight’…. I’m going to prove them wrong. I’m going to go hiking.

And then I was using it, then I stopped, and then I gained three pounds, then five pounds, and then ten pounds, and before I knew it, the [food] noise came back.

In 2023, Oprah shared that she began using a GLP-1 agonist, which encompasses medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy, as a ‘maintenance aid’ for managing her weight, in addition to modifying her diet and exercise routine.

Although she did not specify which GLP-1 medication she used, she has acknowledged the drug for assisting her.lose a minimum of 40 pounds since beginning the weekly injections, as it soothes her ‘food noise, or persistent, bothersome thoughts about eating.’

She has also shared that since starting a GLP-1, she has also stopped consuming alcohol, and the medication has encouraged her to exercise nearly every day as it hasa more optimistic perspective on food and her weight.

In a recent interview promoting her newest book, Oprah refers to food noise as “when you’re just standing there, staring at the refrigerator and [thinking] ‘what can I eat? What can I eat?'”

She also mentioned that during her break from GLP-1 medications, she “was attempting to eat more healthily, but still regained the weight.”

The encounter has further strengthened Oprah’s belief that weight-loss medications are equally essential in managing the condition as blood pressure medications.

She stated, “If you’re taking medication for high blood pressure, stopping it will cause your blood pressure to rise. The same applies in this case.”

Oprah has revealed her path to weight loss in a newly released book, co-authored by obesity specialist Dr. Ania M. Jastreboff, titled Enough: Your Health, Your Weight and What It’s Like to Be Free.

In passages from the book, she reflects on the embarrassment she experienced due to her inability to shed weight or maintain weight loss.

She states: “I have always felt confident about what I was doing, yet I was simultaneously dissatisfied with my overweight body.”

Was I ashamed of it? Yes. Was I let down by myself for keeping on failing? Yes, each and every time. I believed it was my responsibility.

She mentions that her situation “felt even more embarrassing because I have access to a lot: chefs, trainers, and the healthiest foods.”

I wasn’t in good health at 211 pounds. Many people say they can be overweight and still healthy. I wasn’t. I was pre-diabetic, and my cholesterol levels were elevated.

Oprah’s disclosure of her quick weight loss journey follows closely after a significant medical study recommended that individualsTaking “fat jabs” will require you to remain on them for the rest of your life.to enjoy their advantages – and maintain weight loss.

A significant study revealed that the majority of individuals regain the lost weight within two years after discontinuing treatment, significantly quicker than typical dieters.

The injections, which now include well-known medications like Mounjaro and Wegovy, have been recognized as a significant advancement in the fight against obesity.

However, a significant Oxford study indicates that the advantages might not last after treatment stops.

In the first study of its kind, which reviewed 37 research projects involving over 9,300 individuals, scientists discovered that when the injections are discontinued, weight quickly comes back – no matter how much had been lost.

On average, individuals gained approximately one pound each month following cessation, with numerous expecting to have recovered most or all of the lost weight between 17 and 20 months.

Read more

• How did Oprah Winfrey ultimately succeed in her long-desired weight loss, and how did GLP-1 injections contribute to her progress?
• Can Oprah’s innovative weight loss experience with Ozempic help reduce the stigma associated with using medicine to address long-term struggles with obesity?
• Has Oprah’s remarkable weight loss disclosure regarding GLP-1 medications sparked a significant shift in Hollywood’s battle against obesity?
• Did Oprah’s choice to leave Weight Watchers indicate a major change in her weight loss path using GLP-1 medications?
• What impact did Oprah Winfrey’s courageous disclosure about Ozempic have on her weight management path following prolonged public attention?