Oprah is leaving WeightWatchers board after revealing she's using a weight loss drug
Oprah Winfrey has revealed she is stepping down from the board of WeightWatchers.
The talk show host's decision follows after she revealed in December 2023 she was taking a weight loss drug.
Winfrey admitted to taking a weight-loss drug
The 70-year-old didn't reveal what drug she was taking when she made the revelation last December.
She told PEOPLE at the time: "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.
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"Obesity is a disease. It’s not about willpower - it's about the brain."
After making that discovery in July 2023 and having recommended a weight loss drug to others 'long before', Winfrey then went on it herself.
The TV personality continued: "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."
Winfrey steps down from WeightWatchers' board
Winfrey has served on the WeightWatchers' board since 2015. However, on 26 February - as per an SEC filing seen by Variety - she told the company she wouldn't be standing for re-election in May 2024 when shareholders conduct their annual meeting.
Though she did add: "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."
Winfrey's being on a weight-loss drug allegedly technically went against her agreement with WeightWatchers - the TV host not allowed to use 'any other weight loss or weigh management' products or services, or engage with any other similar businesses or programs.
However, reflecting on Winfrey's decision to leave the board, WeightWatchers stated: "Her decision was not the result of any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to the company’s operations, policies or practices."
What happens to Winfrey's stake in the company?
When she first joined the board in 2015, Winfrey acquired a 10 percent stake in the company, the interest of which she's said she will be donating to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
WeightWatchers' board of directors said in a statement: "[We're] supportive of Ms. Winfrey’s proposal to donate all of her WW stock to the NMAAHC during the company’s upcoming trading window in March 2024.
"Ms. Winfrey is making the donation to support the NMAAHC’s goal to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans and to eliminate any perceived conflict of interest around her taking weight-loss medications.
"In addition, Ms. Winfrey intends to donate the proceeds from any future exercises of her WW stock options to NMAAHC."
Winfrey's future with WeightWatchers
Despite stepping down from the board, Winfrey is set to continue participating in 'a number of public forums and events' with the company.
WeightWatchers International chairman Thilo Semmelbauer resolved: "Oprah has been an inspiring presence and passionate advocate for our members, providing critical insights and counsel that has helped shape WeightWatchers over these last 8 years. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank her for her energy, dedication, and for continuing to play a role as collaborator and thought partner going forward. What I know for sure, we will dearly miss her presence on the board."
UNILAD has contacted Oprah Winfrey and WeightWatchers for comment.
Topics: Celebrity, Health, Oprah Winfrey, US News, Drugs, Business
Poppy Bilderbeck