Oprah Talks Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution: ‘It’s a Very Personal Issue’

Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey had her own daily talk show for years, airing after daily soap opera lineups. Winfrey championed daytime dramas by having stars including General Hospital’s Maurice Benard on her show. She was a regular presence at the Daytime Emmys and even appeared on All My Children as herself back in the 1980s. Now, she’s back on our screens in a prime-time special that examines the current state of weight loss in An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame, and the Weight Loss Revolution.

Oprah Winfrey Tackles an Important Issue

Winfrey will chat with medical experts and people who have taken medications to help with weight loss. She’s going to dive into questions related to Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and other prescription medications for diabetes and weight loss. The program examines questions and concerns related to healthcare, economy, lifestyle, and culture.

As she did on her talk show, Winfrey will host this special show in front of a live studio audience. Shame, Blame, and the Weight Loss Revolution will take a look at new drugs that could help people with obesity, an epidemic that has grown exponentially since the 1970s.

“It is a very personal topic for me and for the hundreds of millions of people impacted around the globe who have for years struggled with weight and obesity,” Oprah Winfrey said in a statement. “This special will bring together medical experts, leaders in the space, and people in the day-to-day struggle to talk about health equity and obesity with the intention to ultimately release the shame, judgment, and stigma surrounding weight.”

Winfrey’s guests will include Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. W. Scott Butsch, ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News medical correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Dr. Amanda Velazquez, and patients from around the country who have a range of personal experiences with prescription weight loss medications.

An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame, and the Weight Loss Revolution is executive produced by Winfrey and Tara Montgomery. Watch for the one-hour special to air on Monday, March 18 on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.