Oprah Questions If Ozempic Is A ‘Miracle’ For Combatting Obesity, Aims To Begin The ‘Un-Shaming’
As someone who has had her weight struggles turned into a public forum for over three decades, Oprah Winfrey is leading an open discussion about obesity and the medications that might serve as a “miracle” to the disease.
The billionaire media mogul got candid for her “State of Weight” conversation on Wednesday, September 20, where she and a panel of obesity specialists addressed the new weight-loss drugs that are reducing appetite and changing people’s relationship with food.
Known as Ozempic and Mounjaro, the Type 2 diabetes medications are prescribed by doctors to help patients with weight loss. There is also Wegovy which also helps patients shed unwanted pounds.
With more than 2 billion adults being overweight or obese, and obesity taking more lives than malnutrition, conversations around weight loss medications are crucial. For Oprah, who has struggled with her weight in the public eye for decades, she was more than comfortable with leading the conversation and getting answers to questions that many obese and overweight patients might have.
“You all know I’ve been on this journey for most of my life. My highest weight was 237 pounds,” Oprah shared.
“I don’t know if there is another public person whose weight struggle has been exploited as much as mine over the year. So I am ready for this conversation.”
Speaking with obesity specialists Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford and Dr. Melanie Jay, Sima Sistani, CEO of WeightWatchers, and psychologist Dr. Rachel Goldman, the panelists explained why obesity is a disease due to the dysfunction it causes the brain in its view on how the body regulates weight.
“It’s going on in our brains,” Stanford said. “It’s about how much we take in and how much we store.”
Oprah agreed, citing how many times she has tried to diet, only for her weight to barely drop in size.
“You all have watched me diet and diet and diet and diet. It’s a recurring thing because my body always seems to want to go back to a certain weight.”
But now with the new weight loss medications, they’re helping people cut their cravings and feel fuller faster, Today reports. Ozempic and Wegovy contain the synthetic GLP-1 hormone called semaglutide, which the body releases into the intestine when people eat food. As a result, the medications have reduced appetite and made people feel full sooner.
The weight loss medication Mounjaro contains tirzepatide, which mimics the GIP hormone and may improve how the body breaks down sugar and fat in addition to reducing appetite, NBC News reports. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and constipation, along with more serious side effects of pancreatitis and kidney problems.
When looking at the results, Oprah asked the specialist if the weight loss medications could be seen as a “miracle moment” for obesity patients.
“I would be very hesitant to say that anything with obesity is a miracle,” Jay, co-director of the NYU Langone Comprehensive Program on Obesity said.
“I’m so excited that we finally have effective treatments for obesity.”
After leading the discussion, Oprah expressed her hope for breaking stigmas around obesity and weight loss medications.
“It should be yours to own and not to be shamed about it. As a person who’s been shamed for so many years, I’m just sick of it. I’m just sick of it. I’m just sick of it,” she said.
“And I hope this conversation begins the un-shaming.”
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