Oprah Winfrey to Exit WeightWatchers Board After She Announced Use of Weight-Loss Drug

variety.com:

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Oprah Winfrey will leave the board of WeightWatchers after almost 10 years, following the entertainment mogul’s revelation that she is using a weight-loss drug.

Winfrey informed the company this week that she decided to not stand for reelection at the annual meeting of shareholders to be held in May 2024.

She has served on the company’s board since 2015. when she acquired a 10% stake in WeightWatchers. “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 said in a statement.

In December 2023, Winfrey told People she had decided to start taking a weight-loss medication (which she did not identify) after coming to the realization that weight management does not hinge solely on a person’s self-control. “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,” she told People.