Oprah Endorses GLP-1 Drugs for Weight Loss as Regulators Issue New Safety Guidance on Semaglutide

Oprah Winfrey has been candid this week about her ongoing use of GLP-1 medications like those containing semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, for weight management. In recent interviews promoting her new book Enough: Your Health, Your Weight, and What It's Like to be Free, co-authored with Yale professor Dr. Ania M. Jastreboff, she shared that she started these weekly injections in 2023 and views them as a lifelong tool, much like blood pressure medicine. Oprah told People magazine she feels no shame in relying on them, explaining that after stopping for six months to test her willpower, she regained 20 pounds despite strict dieting and exercise. She now believes obesity influences overeating through genetics and hormones, freeing her from self-blame after decades of public scrutiny and jokes about her weight.

Social media buzzed with debate over her comments on The View, where she said obesity causes overeating rather than the reverse, a view some experts clarify starts with overeating leading to obesity, which then complicates appetite control via elevated hunger hormones. Still, Oprah emphasizes these drugs help by reducing hunger and slowing stomach emptying, as noted by Harvard Health.

Meanwhile, regulators issued fresh guidance on GLP-1s this week. The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency updated advice for prescribers and patients on semaglutide products like Ozempic and Wegovy, highlighting a small risk of severe acute pancreatitis. They noted about 1.6 million adults in England, Wales, and Scotland used these for weight loss between early 2024 and early 2025, per University College London research. In Canada, generic semaglutide became possible after Novo Nordisk's data exclusivity expired on January 4, promising more affordable options soon.

Long-term data reinforces their efficacy. The STEP 5 trial showed once-weekly semaglutide yielding 15.2 percent sustained weight loss at 104 weeks, with mild gastrointestinal side effects like nausea most common. Tirzepatide, a dual agonist, outperformed in the SURMOUNT trials with up to 25 percent loss over 88 weeks. Experts like Dr. Caroline Apovian from Harvard stress indefinite use for best results, alongside diet and exercise, while new oral versions and pipeline drugs like amycretin aim to improve access.

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