Television icon Oprah Winfrey has spoken candidly about a significant weight regain after she temporarily stopped using weight-loss injections, stating the return of persistent 'food noise' convinced her of their necessity.
The Medication Break and Weight Regain
The 71-year-old media legend, who turns 72 later this month, disclosed that she purposefully ceased the medication last year. She wanted to test the common assumption that stopping the treatment would lead to weight being piled back on. The experiment proved the theory correct, with Winfrey regaining a stone and a half, equivalent to 21 pounds or roughly 20lbs.
"I was off of the medications all last year, and I gained 20 pounds because I wanted to test it," Winfrey explained during an interview on NBC's The Today Show. She described a gradual creep on the scales: "I gained three pounds, and I gained five pounds, and I gained 10 pounds, and before you know it, the (food) noise was back."
Understanding the 'Food Noise' and Medication's Role
Winfrey has been open about using a GLP-1 agonist medication, a class of drugs that includes Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy, since 2023. These injections work by suppressing appetite and, crucially for Winfrey, silencing what she calls 'food noise'.
She defines this as the constant, intrusive thoughts about eating. "When you're just standing there, looking at the refrigerator and [thinking] 'what can I eat? What can I eat?'" Winfrey said. The medication's ability to quiet this mental chatter has been transformative for her.
At her heaviest, Winfrey weighed nearly 17 stone (238lbs). After beginning the treatment, she lost approximately 3.5 stone (49lbs). Despite maintaining healthier eating habits during her break from the jabs, the weight returned, reinforcing her view of obesity as a chronic condition.
A Lifelong Tool, Not a Quick Fix
The experience has solidified Winfrey's belief that, for her, this medication is an essential long-term maintenance tool, comparable to other chronic disease treatments. She argues, "If you're on blood pressure medication, if you stop your blood pressure medication, your blood pressure is going to go up. The same thing is true."
She emphasises that the weekly injections are part of a broader health regimen, which now includes a consistent exercise routine and a healthier diet. An unexpected side effect was her decision to give up alcohol. Winfrey now views the medication as part of a holistic approach to health, not a standalone solution.
Her new book, Enough: Your Health, Your Weight and What It’s Like to Be Free, co-authored with obesity expert Dr. Ania M. Jastreboff, tackles this journey head-on. In it, she writes about the shame she previously felt, stating she was "pre-diabetic" with high cholesterol at 211lbs, despite having access to chefs and trainers.
Winfrey's candid discussion continues to shape the public conversation around obesity, medication, and the complex reality of long-term weight management.
