Media mogul, bread-lover, and weight-loss warrior Oprah Winfrey is releasing a new TV special on March 18 on ABC (and streaming on Hulu March 19) called An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution. This special will be exploring the controversial, growing trend of people using alternative methods to lose weight. It will feature a signature sit-down conversation with Oprah with medical experts and everyday people who have used Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and other prescription diabetes and weight loss medications.

In a press statement, Winfrey said, “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.”

The billionaire will talk to her guests about health equity and obesity, intending to ultimately release the shame, judgment, and stigma surrounding weight.

Oprah doesn’t do anything without intention. And it’s obvious that from the start of her stance in the spotlight, Winfrey has dealt with weight loss issues and has been transparent about her struggle. She’s been scrutinized, judged, and ultimately shamed through the years for her weight loss journey. 

Winfrey decided to rid herself of any shame attached to getting assistance with her weight loss. She told PEOPLE, “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. I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself.” And now, she also wants the public to rid themselves of the shame with her special.

“I had an awareness of [weight-loss] medications, but felt I had to prove I had the willpower to do it. I now no longer feel that way,” Winfrey said as she moderated a The State of Weight panel alongside obesity specialists Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford and Dr. Melanie Jay, psychologist Dr. Rachel Goldman and Sima Sistani, the CEO of WeightWatchers in 2023. A very svelte Winfrey shared how she overcame her own “shame” related to taking medication to slim down, though avoiding details on what medication she took. 

Winfrey said, “Even when I first started hearing about the weight loss drugs, at the same time I was going through knee surgery, and I felt, ‘I’ve got to do this on my own.’ Because if I take the drug, that’s the easy way out.” She continued, “It should be yours to own and not to be shamed about it. As a person who’s been shamed for so many years, I’m just sick of it. I’m just sick of it. I’m just sick of it.”

Winfrey was also a spokesperson and board member for Weight Watchers, a weight loss lifestyle brand. She has since stepped down and proposed donating her 10% share in the company to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC).