but viewers flocked online to slam her for ‘promoting’ the drugs.
Speaking in An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution, on Monday, the 70-year-old fought back tears as she revealed how the drugs had meant she was no longer ‘constantly thinking about what the next meal is going to be’.
She said ‘for 25 years, making fun of my weight was national sport’ and that over the years she had ‘lost some weight’ and ‘put back on some weight’ but since starting to take medication she had stopped ‘obsessing’ about food. Along with messages of support online, some viewers slammed Oprah, accusing her of ‘promoting big pharma and pushing Ozempic’ and criticizing her for taking the drugs after spending nine years promoting Weight Watchers.
The show was released days after Oprah But shares rebounded slightly after Oprah brought the CEO of Weight Watchers Simi Sistani on stage for the special, telling her that she had left the board ‘so that I could have a conversation with you’ on the show.
She also brought on leaders from two global pharmaceutical companies, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, that produce the medication.
One viewer accused her of having ‘all her bases covered’ by bringing on both the CEO of Weight Watchers and the pharmaceutical leaders.
Other fans accused her of ‘promoting’ the drugs.
One wrote on X: ‘Oprah is on TV right now doing a special that is essentially an hourlong commercial for Ozempic, including advocating for giving Ozempic to children. Grim’
Another said: ‘Who else won’t be watching the Oprah special tonight promoting BigPharna & pushing Ozempic?’
