Oprah Winfrey recently opened up about how her experience with weight loss medications changed her long-held beliefs about “thin people.” On the January 14 episode of The Oprah Podcast, the media mogul shared how using GLP-1 drugs reshaped her understanding of body weight and willpower.
“For years, I believed that people who stayed thin simply had more willpower,” Oprah admitted. “They made better food choices, they had more discipline, they never touched a potato chip.” However, after taking the medication, she realized that many people naturally eat only when hungry and stop when they’re full—something she had always attributed to sheer determination rather than biology.
At 70, Oprah continues to be open about her lifelong struggles with weight, and this newfound awareness has given her a fresh outlook on health, self-image, and the cultural narratives surrounding weight loss.
Owning Her Role in Diet Culture
During Making The Shift: A New Way to Think About Weight, an event held in May, Oprah took a moment to reflect on how she had contributed to diet culture—a system that promotes extreme and often harmful dieting practices. She openly acknowledged her role in reinforcing unrealistic body standards throughout her television career.
“I have to recognize that I’ve been a part of this culture,” she admitted. “For decades, I hosted weight loss makeovers, aired countless diet-focused shows, and made losing weight seem like a goal that could be achieved through willpower alone.”
She pointed to one of her most famous moments: a 1988 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, where she wheeled out a red wagon filled with 67 pounds of animal fat to represent the weight she had lost on a liquid diet.
Looking back, Oprah called it one of her “biggest regrets.” “That moment sent a message that extreme dieting was the key to success, but it was a standard that neither I nor anyone else could realistically maintain,” she said. Her reflection underscored the powerful influence of media in shaping public perceptions of body image and self-worth.
The Burden of Public Scrutiny
Throughout her career, Oprah’s weight has been scrutinized in ways few public figures have experienced. The infamous “wagon of fat” moment, once celebrated as a symbol of triumph, later became a painful reminder of how diet culture had shaped both her public and private struggles.
“That moment wasn’t just about weight loss—it was a culmination of years of believing my struggles were entirely my fault,” she reflected. “Even up until last week, I was still processing the shame that came with seeing my weight become a national conversation, a punchline, a spectacle.”
Despite decades of public commentary and personal struggles, Oprah remains committed to shifting the conversation around body image, self-acceptance, and health. She continues to use her platform to challenge outdated perceptions of weight loss and encourage a more compassionate approach to personal wellness.
Through her honesty and self-reflection, Oprah’s journey serves as a powerful reminder that growth and understanding are continuous processes—and that self-worth isn’t measured in pounds lost, but in the lessons learned along the way.
