WATCH: Oprah takes on Ozempic and 'obesity epidemic'

Disclaimer: please note, this article might be triggering for some as it mentions topics of weight loss, obesity and diets. 

Popular talk-show host Oprah Winfrey (70) is back doing what she does best; talking and shedding light on important topics.

Winfrey's new prime-time program on ABC, titled 'An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution', is a hot topic.

The special was recorded in front of a live audience in a studio that looked similar to the set she used for 'The Oprah Winfrey Show', which ended in 2011. 

The special delved into anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic, discussing their side effects, cost and weight regain after people stop taking them.

Winfrey referred to the issue as the 'obesity epidemic' and spoke about it with patients and doctors.

Winfrey also opened up about her weight-loss struggles and how obesity affected her mental health. 

What is Ozempic?

The Food and Drug Administration of America (FDA) first approved the injectable medication for treating diabetes in 2017. The agency approved a drug with a higher dose of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, to treat obesity in 2021, under the brand name Wegovy.

Ozempic is approved for use in adults with type 2 diabetes. It lowers blood sugar by helping the pancreas make more insulin. A side-effect of the drug is weight loss, increasing its popularity.

According to data from randomised controlled trials, Ozempic supports weight loss of around 1kg or around 1.1% of body weight after one month.

Demand for Ozempic is increasing with some doctors prescribing it 'off-label' while many consumers buy it online. The drug is so popular that parts of the US are running out, endangering the lives of people with diabetes who need it to survive.

Oprah takes a stand against Ozempic and other weight-loss meds...

In 'An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution', Winfrey recalls her lifelong struggle with her weight, and how it affected how she viewed herself.

Watch some of it below:

Winfrey admits to having lived on 'liquid diets', 'taking weight-loss medication' and 'starving' herself for months without realising that obesity 'is a disease requiring treatment'.

For years, Winfrey believed that people who weren't dieting were 'stronger' than her, but eventually realised her belief was false.

Winfrey argues that issues around weight and obsessive weight loss are 'in the brain' and linked to mental health which should be treated professionally. 

Winfrey claims she is eating better and exercising, including hiking or running daily, instead of taking pills and dieting.

"After losing 67 pounds on liquid diet, the next day, the very next day, I started to gain it back."

- Oprah Winfrey

"All these years, I thought all of the people who never had to diet were just using their willpower and they were for some reason stronger than me. But now I realise y'all weren't even thinking about the food. It's not that you had the willpower. You weren't even thinking about it. You weren't obsessing about it."

- Oprah Winfrey

The main aim of this special is to stop 'shaming and blaming', and understand that obsessive weight loss thoughts are linked to the brain which diets and pills might not cure. 

“Let’s stop the shaming and blaming. The one thing I hope people come away with is knowing that it’s a disease and it’s in the brain.”

- Oprah Winfrey