Oprah says she's 'done with the shaming' over Ozempic confession

Oprah Winfrey admitted to using the weight loss drug Ozempic and said she's "absolutely done with the shaming" in a recent interview.

The host said trolls made it their "public sport" to mock and tease her over the last "25 years" before sharing the decision behind using the drug which she calls "a gift".

The drug, semaglutide, is being marketed under brand names like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus.

When injected once a week, it helps reduce appetite and increases insulin, making it easier for people to lose weight.

Although the drug was initially created for people with type 2 diabetes or obesity, it has become popular with people looking to lose weight.

"I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing," Oprah told People on Wednesday (13 December).

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

"The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for."

The 69-year-old added: "I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself."

Oprah became more inclined to turn to pharmaceuticals after hosting a panel discussion in July.

"I had the biggest ‘aha’ along with many people in that audience," she told the publication

“I realised 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.”

She said the drug gave her "a second shot for me to live a more vital and vibrant life".

"It’s everything," she shared. "I know everybody thought I was on it, but I worked so damn hard. I know that if I’m not also working out and vigilant about all the other things, it doesn’t work for me."

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