After twenty-five years battling her weight before a studio audience, Oprah has finally dropped those pesky forty pounds… with the help of weight-loss drugs. Now the media mogul has dropped WeightWatchers too.
Earlier this week, Oprah announced that she would be leaving the company after nearly a decade on its board of directors and starring in commercials.
“I look forward to continuing to advise and collaborate with WeightWatchers and CEO Sima Sistani in elevating the conversation around recognizing obesity as a chronic condition, working to reduce stigma and advocating for health equity,” said Oprah, who apparently no longer needs the weight-loss program.
In a thoroughly convincing statement released Wednesday, WeightWatchers said Oprah’s decision to leave is not the result of a disagreement with the company or changes in the company’s operations.
“Oprah is an inspiring presence and passionate advocate both for our members and for society at large, in elevating the conversation around weight health,” Sistani said. “While I and the rest of our directors will certainly miss her in our board meetings following the end of her current term, she remains a strong strategic voice and collaborator with WeightWatchers.”
Oprah’s weight isn’t the only thing shrinking. After announcing her departure from WeightWatchers, the company’s stock plummeted 17 percent to just $3.18 a share. Oprah owns about 1.3 million shares in the company valued at $4.1 million — much less than her initial investment of $43.2 million for 6.4 million shares.
WeightWatchers has struggled to stay relevant in the Ozempic era. Last year, the company hopped on the weight-loss drug bandwagon by purchasing Sequence, a telehealth provider that offers users access to insulin-boosting medication. Even with these changes, their biggest spokeswoman (no longer!) dabbling with weight-loss medication has been a blow.
In a December interview with People, Oprah revealed that she has been using weight loss medication as a “maintenance tool,” although she did not name the prescription. Ozempic and Wegovy are among the most popular. Cockburn appreciates Oprah’s honesty but wishes she would stress the role drugs have played in her weight loss. It isn’t regular exercise and point counting that suddenly melted off the pounds.
“I realized I’d been blaming myself all these years for being overweight, and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control,” Oprah said. “Obesity is a disease. It’s not about willpower — it’s about the brain.”
Cockburn for one hopes is that Oprah’s hunger-suppressant drugs haven’t killed her appetite for bread. Oprah loves bread. With WeightWatchers, she never denied herself bread. She had it every day. Hopefully, for the love of bread, she still does.
