The drug Wegovy is a weight-loss medication that Oprah Winfrey swears by, and she is encouraging others to try it out for themselves.
Oprah Winfrey told People Magazine that the media has criticized her body for the last 25 years. She was once on the cover of a magazine where they called her “Dumpy, Frumpy and Downright Lumpy.” Now, the drug Wegovy has sparked some controversy since Winfrey has used the medication to lose weight.
Wegovy is a weight-loss medication under the parent company Ozempic and was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) back in 2021. The medication has received backlash from some doctors like Robert Lustig, a neuroendocrinologist and professor at the University of California, San Francisco. Lustig finds “major, major concerns” with the drug, and people are using Wegovy as a quick fix to their problems.
Lustig is seeing an increase in teenagers taking the drug and is worried that this will lead to them developing pancreatitis. Some of the serious side effects of Wegovy include gallstones, pancreatitis, risk of thyroid cancer and Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
The doctor said he isn’t against the drug Wegovy, but this drug only makes people “minimally” healthier, he told Today.com. He explained, “It’s like giving an aspirin to a patient with a brain tumor because they have a headache.” There is a chance that people will regain weight after they stop taking the drug. Therefore, Lustig believes to fix this problem Americans should consume less sugar and carbohydrates.
Additionally, some other doctors are on the opposite end of the spectrum, and they don’t mind prescribing their patients Wegovy. Jessica Perreault is a part of the scientific advisory board for Novo Nordisk, and she feels very comfortable prescribing the drug long-term. She believes that Wegovy can protect the heart and make people healthier. However, if the individual doesn’t maintain a consistent healthy diet, then they could be prone to gaining back the weight.
After some doctors are divided on the use of the drug, Winfrey raves about what Wegovy has done for her.
“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,” she said,
She is tired of being shamed for her body and feels that the drug has brought balance to her life.
The successful TV host talked about taking the medication before Thanksgiving because she knew she would be eating a ton of food in the next two weeks. Instead of gaining eight pounds like she did last Thanksgiving, she only put on half a pound of weight after the festivities. For her, this “quieted the food noise.”
However, I believe that Winfrey felt the need to take Wegovy because of how the media presented her body to the public. It is easy to struggle with body image in the U.S., especially as a celebrity because you’re constantly in the public eye. You will find that photographers, broadcasters, and people online will all have something to say about your body type. They will notice when you lose weight or gain some, and you will either be praised or scrutinized for it.
If Winfrey is constantly being slammed for her body, this will make her want to take more drastic measures to get her body slimmed down. However, the media plays a huge role in body dysmorphia because we are being told what body types are “ideal.” I believe that Winfrey should not be promoting a controversial drug because some of her fans might want to try out the medication now.
It would be better if she would share with her audience about the changes in her eating habits and exercise routine, and this can inspire others to make healthier accommodations in their lives. I urge young viewers to be wary of Winfrey’s special weight loss and the drug Wegovy. Do not take a celebrity’s word for something, instead look into the medication yourself.