Oprah Winfrey and Decades of Talking About Her Weight
Oprah Winfrey has likely discussed her weight more publicly than any other major American media figure. Her ongoing conversation began with the 1988 Optifast episode of her talk show, where she famously rolled a wagon of fat onto the stage to mark a 67-pound loss, extending to her 2015 investment in Weight Watchers. In a 2023 ABC special, Winfrey acknowledged using a GLP-1 medication as part of her current approach and stated it shifted her thinking about the moral language of dieting. She stepped down from the Weight Watchers board in 2024. Her public trajectory is widely seen as a turning point in how American media addresses weight and prescription treatment.