Oprah Winfrey Steps Down From WeightWatchers Board After Losing 40 Pounds on Weight-Loss Drug

Oprah Winfrey confirmed she made the decision to step down from her position on the WeightWatchers board after nearly 10 years.

The popular weight-loss company released a statement that clarified it "was not the result of any disagreement" or "any matter relating to the company's operations, policies or practices."

"Oprah is an inspiring presence and passionate advocate both for our members and for society at large, in elevating the conversation around weight health," WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani said at the time. "While I and the rest of our directors will certainly miss her in our board meetings following the end of her current term, she remains a strong strategic voice and collaborator with WeightWatchers."

The television personality also said she would "look forward to continuing to advise and collaborate" with the company in the future with hopes of "elevating the conversation around recognizing obesity as a chronic condition, working to reduce stigma and advocating for health equity."

"Weight Health is a critically important topic and one that needs to be addressed at a broader scale," she continued. "I plan to participate in a number of public forums and events where I will be a vocal advocate in advancing this conversation."

Winfrey also noted she would be donating her sizable amount of stock in the company to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Although the company claimed there was no disagreement between them and the famed talk show host, this comes not long after Winfrey shared that she'd lost around 40 pounds with diet, exercise and the assistance of a weight-loss drug.

"I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing," she said at the time. "The fact that there's a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for. I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself."

"I eat my last meal at 4 o’clock, drink a gallon of water a day, and use the WeightWatchers principles of counting points," she noted. "I had an awareness of [weight-loss] medications, but felt I had to prove I had the willpower to do it. I now no longer feel that way."

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Winfrey added she is no longer concerned about the number on the scale, but rather thinks of her health journey as "a second shot for me to live a more vital and vibrant life."