Ozempic: Oprah Winfrey slams the door on WeightWatchers

WeightWatchers International has been rocked by unexpected news: one of its most influential board members, Oprah Winfrey, has announced that she will not be standing for election next May.

This statement was confirmed by the company, sending shockwaves through the organization.

Oprah Winfrey leaving WeightWatchers board after admitting she uses weight-loss drug https://t.co/iUolQa9PVl pic.twitter.com/gIL4g9MpgR

— Page Six (@PageSix) February 29, 2024

Oprah’s departure coincides with a financial crisis for WW. In 2023, its losses doubled to $88 million.

It seems that the company is suffering the repercussions of the rise in popularity of Ozempic-type weight-loss drugs, which are in high demand worldwide.

Ironically, it seems to be precisely for this reason that Oprah would slam the door on WeightWatchers, she who admitted to using a weight-loss drug, without naming Ozempic, a reference that everyone was quick to understand, however.

Winfrey’s decision had a significant impact on the market, causing WeightWatchers shares to drop by more than 27% following the announcement.

Over the past few months, the celebrity has proudly flaunted a slimmer figure, attributing the change to medical treatment. Winfrey reportedly took the decision to leave the WeightWatchers board to avoid any perceived conflict of interest in relation to her use of personal weight-loss drugs.

WeightWatchers finds itself at a crucial point in its future, facing the rise of the medical weight-loss industry, rightly or wrongly.