By Oprah Winfrey’s own admission, people have made a “national sport” by making negative comments about her weight (trans Standard). During a March 2024 ABC special, the beloved TV personality recalled how her weight became the subject of offensive tabloid headlines as well as a topic of discussion for talk show hosts nearly 25 years ago. In December 2025 the people In the interview, Winfrey admitted that her weight sparked feelings of embarrassment and disappointment, which were further amplified when she was unable to reach the desired number on the scale, despite repeated efforts.
In those days, Winfrey felt particularly ashamed that she couldn’t achieve her weight-loss goals, despite having the means to afford personal trainers, chefs, and nutrient-dense foods. However, in 2023, the talk show host joined the ranks Celebrities over the age of 60 who have undergone significant weight loss. talking to the people In December 2023, Winfrey announced that she had taken weight-loss medication in order to improve her health. She went on to stress that she would not tolerate any negativity surrounding her decision, saying, “The fact that there is an approved prescription for weight management and better health, in my life, feels like a relief, like redemption, like a gift, not something to hide behind and be ridiculed again.”
Although it is unclear how much weight Oprah Winfrey lost on Ozempicextra Oprah Winfrey’s weight loss transformation photos Proving that wellness isn’t always a straight line. Unfortunately, it seems that many people did not understand this concept and constantly criticized Winfrey throughout her decades-long weight loss journey.
The fat wagon has not aged well
On a 1988 episode of her talk show, Oprah Winfrey took to the stage with a cart containing 67 pounds of animal fat to give the audience a visual representation of how much weight she had lost. After detailing the exact number of inches she lost in her hips, waist and chest, Winfrey said she felt sorry that her heart had to pump so much fat every day.
However, she soon regained her weight. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2016, she called the episode a huge mistake and “one of the biggest ego trips of my life” (via and! news).
The notorious Optifast system was too extreme
In the October 2005 issue of Oh Oprah MagazineOprah Winfrey said she followed the Optifast diet to achieve her famous fat wagon transformation. As part of the diet, the TV mogul swore off completely solid foods for four straight months and consumed only liquid protein. New York Times She also stated that she can only consume 400 calories per day.
By Winfrey’s admission, the extreme diet seriously affected her metabolism, and she quickly gained the weight back after she started eating solid food. During a Weight Watchers live broadcast in May 2024, Winfrey admitted that her radical transformation only served to perpetuate an impossible standard (via diverse).
I once swore off a diet
After regaining weight from the Optifast diet in 1990, Oprah Winfrey publicly declared, “I will never diet again. And I will certainly never fast again” (via Los Angeles Times). However, in the January 2007 edition of Oh Oprah MagazineThe talk show host admitted she continued experimenting with unsustainable diets for about seven years.
She then discussed how the Better Life diet has been a game-changer for her, framing it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet. As part of the regimen, Winfrey appeared to follow intermittent fasting and abstain from eating high-calorie foods.
Her support of Weight Watchers came across as disingenuous
In the April 2017 issue of Oh Oprah MagazineOprah Winfrey said that Weight Watchers was a complete game-changer for her and helped her lose 45 pounds through a balanced approach. In January 2016 Facebook In the video, Winfrey spoke enthusiastically about how the program helped her lose weight while eating bread, which was one of her favorite foods.
However, many were skeptical of Winfrey’s claims because she did not become vocal in her support of Weight Watchers until after taking a 10% stake in the company in August 2015. It was not until 2024 that the talk show host eventually exited the company’s board of directors.
Her GLP-1 observation seemed more ironic over time
During a panel in September 2023, Oprah Winfrey shared that after her knee surgery, she was determined to lose weight without the help of weight-loss drugs because she felt it was “the easy way out” (via Yahoo!). So, the talk show host decided to go on regular walks and follow the Weight Watchers program.
Needless to say, these comments didn’t sit well after Winfrey spoke out about her use of GLP-1 to People magazine months later. However, Winfrey told the outlet that she realized during a September 2023 panel that she was unfairly blaming herself for her weight rather than acknowledging her genetic predisposition to it.
She couldn’t acknowledge her role in diet culture without criticism
During May 2024 Weight Watchers On the live broadcast, Oprah Winfrey candidly admitted: “I want to acknowledge that I’ve been a consistent participant in this diet culture through my platforms, through the magazine, through the talk show for 25 years.”
After recalling how she participated in countless weight loss attempts and spoke about the topic at length, the media mogul said she hopes to improve on her previous ways. However, many Editors They were skeptical given that the remark came from someone who had publicly sang the praises of the GLP-1 drug. some She even found it ironic that she made the comment during a Weight Watchers live broadcast.
Her assumption about people with small bodies didn’t sit right with some
During the January 2025 episode of “Oprah podcast“, Oprah Winfrey said that she initially believed that people had achieved slimmer frames by strictly adhering to a healthy diet and completely avoiding high-calorie foods. However, after she started taking GLP-1 medication, she realized that they were not experiencing food fuss and were simply tuning into their body’s fullness signals.
Commenters on social media wasted no time criticizing Winfrey. Some wrote that people of all sizes have dealt with the food noise and found strategies to deal with it. Meanwhile, others pointed out that Winfrey’s comments completely ignored the mental health issues that led to overeating (via Daily Mail).
She once wanted to “beat” the GLP-1 drug
talking to the people In December 2025, Oprah Winfrey shared that she had “tried to get over” Ozembec in January 2024 and suddenly stopped taking it. After gaining 20 pounds over the next year, the media mogul realized that medication had to be a staple for her.
on Redditsome commenters took issue with her saying she needed to “get over” GLP-1 because it perpetuates the idea that the brain can magically achieve the same effect after stopping the drug. Several more Commentators They rolled their eyes at how Winfrey yo-yo dieted toward Ozempic, despite her past experiences.
Her “fat gene” comment caused a stir
During a January 2026 appearance on “The view“, Oprah Winfrey stated that she initially blamed herself for overeating. After admitting that she later realized that the “obesity gene” was the reason behind her overeating, Winfrey said: “Don’t overeat and become obese. Obesity causes you to overeat.”
According to some interpreters X, Previously on Twitter, she quickly accused the talk show of not taking responsibility for her actions. However, according to Harvard Medical SchoolStudies have shown that genetics actually play a role in obesity. Due to genetic factors, a person can be 25% to 80% more likely to be obese.
