Oprah Winfrey is not ashamed to use a weight loss drug

For years, Oprah Winfrey has been the face of american television, a preeminent influencer who could sell almost anything to American women. She hosted talk shows, sold pots and cookbooks, and reigned supreme in the world of lifestyle. She was granted the exclusive interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, and it's no coincidence. Between 2016 and 2020, after the enormous disappointment of the United States presidential election, it was joked (but perhaps not entirely) that she should run for office herself. Now, she focuses mainly on her farm and her flowers, but also on producing films and writing books. In short, she was and still is a very powerful entertainer and entrepreneur, capable of swaying public opinion.

Oprah Winfrey, Victim of Body Shaming

All this, and mind you, hasn't stopped her from being criticized for her appearance, particularly her weight. "For the past 25 years, making fun of me has been a public activity," she told People. "I've been shamed, I've blamed myself. I felt sad." However, she has now lost a considerable amount of weight, partly, she admits, thanks to a specific medication, which she refuses to name but which relates to the public debate on Ozempic, a drug designed for diabetics but often used by those wanting to lose weight quickly, with some nice side effects (could it be any different?) and the added disadvantage of depriving those in genuine need. "I've consulted with my doctors, I use it when I feel I need it, to maintain weight. I'm tired of feeling ashamed" she added.

Other Stars Who Have Admitted to Using Weight Loss Medication

Oprah is not alone. Kelly Osbourne has admitted to using Ozempic or similar drugs, saying: "People who criticize it are either secretly taking it or are jealous and angry because they can't afford it." Additionally, Sharon Osbourne, Amy Schumer, and Elon Musk have all confessed to using similar substances. Many other figures have faced insinuations regarding this matter and have felt compelled to express their opinions. In short, the topic is very heated, perhaps too much so. After all, it concerns serious matters of health and weight, delicate issues that extend beyond the realm of celebrity and touch us personally, in body and in stomach (literally).

Public Debate on Ozempic: Are We Sure It Should Be Normalized?

Even though Winfrey has been quick to add that the mysterious drug is just one part of a holistic approach to weight loss, which also includes controlled eating and plenty of exercise, and even though it's hard to doubt her considerations on the fat-shaming she has endured throughout her career, the problem remains. Many of these medications come with prohibitive costs, but if they were more accessible to us common folk, how would they affect the weight and self-image of young people desperate to fit into prohibitive beauty standards perpetuated by the fashion and beauty industries, magazine covers, and Photoshop? It's not about shame, but about responsibility. What needs to be normalized is not so much the use of extreme methods to lose weight, but our relationship with non-thin bodies, how we talk about them and comment on them, our words and attitudes.