Oprah Winfrey Expresses Regret For Being A 'Major Contributor' To Diet Culture

Oprah Winfrey has admitted that she was a "major contributor" to diet culture for over 25 years, regretting her past involvement in weight-loss shows.

She recently got candid about her own struggles with weight loss and her use of drugs like Ozempic, sparking both criticism and support.

During a three-hour WeightWatchers special, Winfrey admitted to perpetuating diet culture through her various platforms over the past 25 years and expressed remorse for her involvement.

Reflecting on her past participation in weight-loss shows and makeovers, she said: "I have been a steadfast participant in this diet culture through my platforms, through the magazine, through the talk show for 25 years, through online. "

She continued, "I've been a major contributor to it. I cannot tell you how many weight-loss shows and makeovers I have done, and they have been a staple since I've been working in television."

Earlier in March, Winfrey opened up about her weight loss struggles, revealing that she starved herself for "nearly five months" on a liquid diet in 1988, which resulted in temporary weight loss followed by rapid regain.

Winfrey said: "In an effort to combat all the shame, I starved myself for nearly five months and then wheeled out that wagon of fat that the internet will never forget."

"After losing 67 pounds on [a] liquid diet, the next day, the very next day, I started to gain it back. Feeling the shame of fighting a losing battle with weight is a story all too familiar," she noted, per DailyMail.

Winfrey's latest statement, expressing regret for contributing to diet culture, has been met with mixed reactions.

Some expressed solidarity with the billionaire, while others felt she was not truly sorry about her role in promoting diet culture.

One person on X (formerly Twitter) said: "I accept her apology. Sometimes people forget you can be healthy at literally any weight."

However, an individual accused her of promoting weight loss drugs, writing: "She's saying that because she discovered Ozempic."

Another critic noted, "Most of her talk show career was built on diet culture. If she were truly sorry, she'd just shut up about the topic altogether."

"So what she's saying is …. She doesn't want to promote healthy eating any longer but is now pushing big pharma… what is wrong with her and these other celebrities pushing drugs over health ?!?!" another asked.

While speaking on "An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame, and the Weight Loss Revolution" in March, Winfrey emphasized the importance of recognizing obesity as a disease.

She said, "The number one thing I hope people come away with is knowing that [obesity] is a disease, and it's in the brain."

The program also featured obesity medicine physician Dr. Jen Ashton, who highlighted the complexity of overweight and obesity as chronic disease states rather than character flaws.

She explained: "It is conclusively known that the conditions of overweight and obesity are complex, chronic disease states, not character flaws... so they should be managed accordingly."

The explanation resonated with Winfrey, who agreed: "Oh, I love that so much, Dr. Jen. It's a disease, not a character flaw."

The special in March aired days after Winfrey resigned from her role on the Weight Watchers board, citing a potential "conflict of interest."

Her departure led to a 20 percent drop in Weight Watchers shares, and on an episode of ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", the 70-year-old clarified that her decision to step down from the WeightWatchers board stemmed from her desire to "be able to talk about whatever I want to talk about" regarding weight-loss issues.

She explained to Kimmel, "I decided [to leave the WeightWatchers board] because this special was really important to me, and I wanted to be able to talk about whatever I want to talk about."

Winfrey noted that WeightWatchers "is now in the business of being a weight-health company that also administers drug medications for weight. I did not want to have the appearance of any conflict of interest."

In an interview with People Magazine in December last year, Winfrey admitted to using weight loss medication to manage her body weight.

She said that for years, her weight had fluctuated, and she was stigmatized for it. During those times, she "blamed and shamed herself" and refused to use weight loss drugs, thinking her inability to keep her weight down was a case of her having low willpower.

However, after participating in a recorded panel discussion with weight loss experts and clinicians, she came to the realization that "no amount of willpower is going to control" her weight.

"I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing," Oprah told the publication, adding that she had been recommending it to people even before she began using one.

She added, "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."