Oprah Winfrey has opened up about the surprising impacts she encountered after using popular weight loss medications. The renowned media personality, now 71, shared in December 2023 that she began using a GLP-1 agonist—a category of drugs that includes Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy—to help manage her weight alongside dietary and exercise adjustments.

Although Winfrey hasn’t specified which particular GLP-1 medication she was prescribed, she has attributed these drugs to a significant weight loss of at least 40 pounds. Earlier in the year, she mentioned how the medication helped alleviate her “food noise,” or the persistent and intrusive thoughts about eating that she experienced.

However, in a recent interview, Winfrey discussed some unforeseen side effects of taking a weight loss medication. Among the notable changes, she found herself abstaining from alcohol, aligning her with the 46 percent of Americans who report not consuming alcoholic beverages.

Recent studies suggest that drugs like Ozempic may influence the brain’s reward centers, which are responsible for releasing dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure. By inhibiting these reward pathways, such medications can potentially reduce the desire for alcohol.

She revealed that since taking a GLP-1, she has stopped drinking alcohol, making her one of 46 percent of Americans who claim they don’t imbibe. 

Emerging research shows Ozempic and similar drugs dampen the brain’s reward centers that release feel-good chemical dopamine. Blocking these reward pathways has been shown to lower cravings for alcohol. 

The medications have also inspired her to work out almost every day, which could be because GLP-1 medications help regulate blood sugar and improve energy levels.

Winfrey believes the medications have helped her have a more positive outlook about food and her weight. ‘I’m not constantly punishing myself,” she said. ‘I hardly recognize the woman I’ve become. But she’s a happy woman.’

Oprah Winfrey (pictured above in December 2025) has revealed the unexpected effects of taking GLP-1 medications

Winfrey, pictured above in 2008, has long struggled with her weight and bounced between fad diets and trends

She added: ‘I thought [weight loss] was about discipline and willpower. But I stopped blaming myself. I feel more alive and more vibrant than I’ve ever been.’

‘But despite the improvements, she briefly regained some of the weight she had lost after taking a break from the drugs, which showed her GLP-1 medications ‘are a lifetime thing.’ 

Winfrey’s GLP-1 use comes after decades of weight fluctuations and fad diets, including liquid diets, starving herself for multiple days and cutting her calories to just 1,200 per day, 40 percent less than the federally recommended 2,000 per day. 

In 1992, her weight had reached 237lbs, the highest it had ever been. She has stated her goal is 160lbs but has not revealed what her current weight is.

In the new interview with People, Winfrey said: ‘Whatever was happening needed to happen to get me to this point. And I rejoice at feeling liberated from the struggle because I had a real public struggle. And I am healthier now.’

Winfrey is one of one in eight American adults, 30 million people, who have taken GLP-1 medications at least once, though studies suggest at least half of users quit using them after one year.

Winfrey noted that she could once ‘outdrink everyone at the table’ and would indulge in a more than a dozen shots of alcohol in a single night. ‘I was a big fan of tequila. I literally had 17 shots one night,’ she said.

But since going on a GLP-1, any cravings for alcohol have since disappeared. ‘I haven’t had a drink in years,’ she said. ‘The fact that I no longer even have a desire for it is pretty amazing.’

While long-term research on drugs like Ozempic is still emerging, a growing number of studies suggest the drugs may reduce cravings for alcohol. Some people have even anecdotally reported fewer cravings for junk food, gambling and sex as well.

Winfrey is pictured above in 1988. She said GLP-1 medications have helped her quell ‘food noise’ and reduced cravings for alcohol

Winfrey, seen above in September 2025, also noted she is now working out six times a week, which she used to feel too ‘sluggish’ to do

One 2023 study published in the journal eBioMedicine tested semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, on rats and found those who took the drug drank half as much alcohol of those who got the placebo.

Brain tests done on the rats showed semaglutide reached parts of the brain that release dopamine, which may have helped quell alcohol cravings. 

Trials on both rats and humans have also shown GLP-1 users also reduced their desire to use illicit drugs and gamble. 

Since starting semaglutide, Winfrey said she has also started working out six times a week for about two hours a day, with exercises including hiking, weight lifting and running on the treadmill. 

‘I don’t recognize the person who feels sluggish when she doesn’t work out,’ she said. 

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic slow digestion, which prevents spikes in blood sugar. Blood sugar fluctuations can lead to crashes and deplete energy, so managing blood sugar may help improve energy levels and the desire to work out. 

The medications also have been linked to muscle mass loss, so experts recommend resistance training to help maintain muscle. 

Winfrey encouraged those struggling with obesity or who have the condition running in their family to consider using GLP-1s. She said: ‘If you have obesity in your gene pool, I want people to know it’s not your fault.

‘I want people to stop blaming yourself for genes and an environment you can’t control. I want people to have the information, whatever you choose to do with it, whether you get the medications, or whether you want to keep dieting.’