16 December 2023 , 20:58
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After years of struggling with her weight, Oprah Winfrey stunned fans when she showed off a noticeably smaller frame at a red carpet event earlier this month.
The 69-year-old made a big entrance when she arrived at the Annual Academy Museum Gala at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles wearing a shimmering long-sleeved gown in a rich purple colour. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek half-up style, which showed off her glamorous crystal drop chandelier earrings, and perfectly applied makeup.
Ever since Oprah's self-titled talkshow first aired in 1984, she has publicly struggled with her weight, reaching 16 stone 9lbs at her heaviest. However, she credits an unidentified weight loss medication for helping her lose 70lbs (5 stone), taking her to just 6lbs from her goal weight. She didn't identify what prescription she's on, but drugs like Ozempic and Monjourno have been causing a lot of buzz in the medical and weight loss fields.
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Oprah Winfrey showed off a slimmer frame at the start of the month (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Oprah had a fuller figure back in 2010 (Getty Images for Discovery Commu)Oprah opened up to US magazine People about her reasons for turning to medication after years of unsuccessful dieting. She said: "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. I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself."
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The talk show host explained that her sentiments about the drug changed after a discussion with clinicians for her Oprah Daily’s Life You Want series. Much of the stigma against drug usage and obesity vanished for her and she began to see obesity as a "disease" that had nothing to do with someone's "willpower".
She added that her transformation is actually the result of an overall weight loss journey which has seen her change her lifestyle in multiple ways. She began incorporating more exercise into her lifestyle, including hiking which she set goals for herself that led to her feeling stronger and more fit. Plus, she focused on her diet, explaining that she eats her last meal at 4 o'clock and drinks at least a gallon of water today.
Oprah pictured in 2019, two years after she lost 40lbs (Getty Images for THR)Some fans have called out the billionaire philanthropist for being hypocritical, given she is a proud Weight Watchers spokesperson, who she's worked with since 2017. However, Oprah claims that the diet's points system helps her keep her eating on track.
Oprah has previously shared insights into how negative body image has followed her throughout her life. She said: "I can look at a picture from any period of my life, and the first thing that comes to mind is not the event or experience, but my weight and size, because that is how I've viewed (and judged) myself—through the prism of numbers."
In January 2017, after losing 40lbs, she told Weight Watchers magazine that she had found success after shifting her focus away from the scales, recognising that losing weight for a specific goal or event, or to "make people like me" was pointless.
Oprah looking glam in New York last week (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Oprah has been wearing a variety of purple outfits since losing weight (Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock)"At 200 pounds, I was okay. I have never, ever, ever been at that point. And then at 190 pounds, I was okay. If I don't lose another pound right now, I'm still okay. The fullness of life, the fullness of being, the self-acceptance — I'd never done that before. I'd always beaten myself up because I was tied to a number.
"When the weight started to come off, I needed to get clear on my intention. I could lose weight to fit a dress size, or attend an event, or to make other people like me. But I couldn't keep it off for those reasons. I always put the weight back on. This time I changed the intention to, 'I want to be the healthiest I can be — physically, emotionally, spiritually.' So the process and purpose of losing shifted for me. It was easier, because my intention was clearer."