HEALTHOprah Winfrey Declares She Feels 'No Shame' Taking GLP-1s After Gaining 20 Pounds Without Them
Former talk show host Oprah Winfrey declared she has 'no shame' taking GLP-1s.
Jan. 15 2026, Published 8:58 p.m. ET
Oprah Winfrey got honest about her use of GLP-1 medications for weight loss, describing it as a trial-and-error journey.
After years of struggling with her weight, the former talk show host, 71, turned to GLP-1s in 2023, but decided only six months later to try to "beat the medication" after her confession caused backlash.
Oprah Winfrey Wanted to Test the 'Science'
Oprah Winfrey quit GLP-1 medication 'cold turkey' and gained 20 pounds.
“I said, ‘I’m going to see if the science is right. I want to see if I can do without it,'" she recounted in an interview with a news outlet.
GLP-1 is a diabetes medication that has gained popularity in Hollywood for its weight-loss effects. The drugs "act in the brain to reduce hunger and act on the stomach to delay emptying, so you feel full for a longer time," according to Harvard Health.
Oprah Winfrey Explained She Gained 20 Pounds Without GLP-1 Medication
Oprah Winfrey gained 20 pounds despite a healthy diet and regular workouts.
"Everybody was saying if you get off the medication, you’re going to immediately put the weight back on," she admitted, and for her, that proved true.
Despite sticking to a healthy diet and regular workouts, she still gained 20 pounds in just 12 months.
"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," she explained. "The same thing is true now, I realize, with these medications. I’ve proven to myself I need it."
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Oprah Winfrey Says She Has 'No Shame' in GLP-1 Use
Oprah Winfrey said she feels 'no shame' in using GLP-1 medication.
The broadcast icon emphasized she had "no shame" in using the medication in her health journey, adding, "Let the people say what they will."
In addition, she had a positive message for those considering taking the same route.
“If you have obesity in your gene pool, I want people to know it’s not your fault,” Winfrey explained. "And people need to stop blaming other people. Don't say, 'Why don't you just work out more and eat less?' That is not the answer. I want people to have the information, whatever you choose to do with it, whether you get the medications, or whether you want to keep dieting. That's the lesson I learned: I stopped blaming myself."
Oprah Winfrey Covers the GLP-1 Cost for Friends
Oprah Winfrey declined to share the brand she used.
Winfrey, who didn't reveal the brand she uses, typically injects the medication weekly and said she covers the cost for several friends who couldn't afford the pricey drug.
"I came to understand that overeating doesn’t cause obesity," she explained of the revelation that changed her mindset. "Obesity causes overeating. And that’s the most mind-blowing, freeing thing I’ve experienced as an adult."
