By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@GettyImages.
Oprah Winfrey, 71, says growing older has made her more appreciative of her health, especially after using GLP-1s to manage obesity.
She never thought in her lifetime that medicines would provide hope, health, and healing for people like her. But as her conversations with Dr. Ania Jastreboff from the Yale School of Medicine reveal, we’ve learned that having obesity is not a choice. It’s not a question of willpower. Obesity is a disease.
Winfrey spoke about how learning that obesity is a disease helped her stop seeing her weight as a personal failure.
“I’m not going to, but I could weep right now for all of the many days and nights I’ve journaled about this being my fault and why can’t I conquer this thing?” Winfrey said.
Winfrey said the “food noise” in her head went away within hours on the first day she took a GLP-1 medication.
“There are tools to use that can help you. And I do see it as a tool,” she said.
Dr. Jastreboff’s groundbreaking research offers a new way forward, not only for obesity treatment, but also for overall health, with significant implications for the prevention and reversal of hundreds of related diseases. As she demonstrates in this book, when science meets empathy, real healing becomes possible.
“All these years I thought I could do it myself. And as the Lord and all his disciples know, I’ve tried and failed, tried and failed, tried and failed. In front of all of you, who have borne witness to it.
The failure has felt doubly shameful because I have access to so much: chefs and trainers and the healthiest of foods. Why couldn’t I lose the weight and keep it off? Because no amount of success, money, fame, or intelligence is a match for biology. I had a disease and blamed myself for not being able to cure it.” – Oprah Winfrey.
Dr Jastreboff’s conversations with Oprah about weight loss on her podcast have over 1.8 millions views on YouTube.
Video Courtesy of Oprah.
As a global media leader, Oprah Winfrey has built unparalleled connections with people around the world. Through The Oprah Winfrey Show, she entertained, enlightened, and uplifted millions of viewers for twenty-five years. Her accomplishments as a philanthropist and her commitment to education have established her as one of the most respected and admired public figures today.
Ania M. Jastreboff, MD, PhD, is the Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology) and Professor of Paediatrics (Paediatric Endocrinology) at Yale School of Medicine. A compassionate physician-scientist and founding director of the Yale Obesity Research Center (Y-Weight), Dr. Jastreboff is an international thought leader in the scientific development and clinical application of novel obesity medications revolutionizing the treatment of obesity.