The media mogul will host a primetime special delving into the radical impact of prescription weight-loss medications on March 7.
After admitting that she uses weight-loss medication as a "maintenance tool," Oprah Winfrey is bringing the conversation to TV.
On Thursday, ABC announced that the media mogul will host a primetime special event featuring sit-down conversations around the radical impact of prescription weight-loss medications. Premiering on March 18, An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution aims to "delve into the prevailing questions and concerns surrounding the impact [of weight-loss medications] on our health care, economy, lifestyle and culture."
According to a press release, Winfrey will speak in front of a live studio audience as she gathers the country's leading medical experts and everyday people "who are in the battle of one of the biggest healthcare crises the world has ever known."
"For the first time in history, new drugs could prove to be the game changer to stem the tide of people living with obesity, an epidemic that has grown exponentially since the 1970s, costing $173 billion per year in medical costs in the United States alone," the release says.
"It is a very personal topic for me and for the hundreds of millions of people impacted around the globe who have for years struggled with weight and obesity," Winfrey said in a statement. "This special will bring together medical experts, leaders in the space and people in the day-to-day struggle to talk about health equity and obesity with the intention to ultimately release the shame, judgment and stigma surrounding weight."
"We are thrilled to work with Oprah and the voices she has assembled to open a dialogue that destigmatizes and educates viewers on the important and polarizing topic of weight loss," added Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group. "I can think of no one better to lead this meaningful conversation about such a critical issue that touches all of our lives."
The special includes appearances from Cleveland Clinic's Dr. W. Scott Butsch, ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News medical correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Dr. Amanda Velazquez and patients from around the country who have a range of personal experiences with prescription weight-loss medications, including a teenager who was among the first to take the new drugs and begs the question whether these medications should be given to minors.
The special will address several questions, including why obesity is designated a disease who the medications are really intended for; who is eligible to receive weight-loss drugs; what should folks ask their doctors; what the short-term and long-term side effects are; what the supply chain challenges and the impact on those with diabetes are; why there is shame surrounding taking medication; and what the future of these medicines is in our society and culture.
The special comes shortly after Winfrey stepped back from serving on the Weight Watchers board of directors for a decade after she disclosed her recent use of weight-loss medication.
According to Weight Watchers' last proxy statement, per The Hollywood Reporter, Winfrey's stake was valued at more than $18 million prior to the announcement of her departure.
The 70-year-old's figure once again became a topic of speculation after the talk show icon stepped out for the Hollywood premiere of The Color Purple looking svelte last year. Speaking with People, Winfrey detailed her approach to weight loss after "five decades" of weight fluctuations, "yo-yoing and feeling like why can't I just conquer this thing, believing willpower was my failing."
Winfrey said she's "done with the shaming" surrounding weight-loss medication, revealing that she uses it as a "maintenance tool" for her own body.
"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 told the outlet.
She added, "Obesity is a disease. It’s not about willpower -- it's about the brain."
After discussing it with her doctor, Winfrey was prescribed a medication and said she now uses it "as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing."
An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution airs March 18 on ABC and the next day on Hulu.
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