Oprah Winfrey apologises for being a ‘major contributor’ to toxic diet culture

Oprah Winfrey has talked about how she regrets the way she's driven the cultural conversation around dieting over the past two decades.

In a three-hour WeightWatchers special, Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution, Oprah admitted she has "been a steadfast participant in this diet culture. Through my platforms, through the magazine, through the talk show for 25 years and online."

She added, "I’ve been a major contributor to it. I cannot tell you how many weight-loss shows and makeovers I have done, and they have been a staple since I’ve been working in television."

The 70-year-old told how she is now taking medication to control her weight.

"For 25 years, making fun of my weight was national sport," she said, adding that since taking the weight loss drug she has stopped "obsessing about food."

Oprah has recently stepped down from the board of WeightWatchers. Her exit caused shares to drop by 20 per cent.

There had been rumours circulating since last year that Oprah was taking Ozempic, and in December she confirmed she was taking an unnamed weight loss drug.

In the show, she explained, "The number one thing I hope people come away with is knowing that (obesity) is a disease, and it's in the brain.'