Oprah Winfrey introduced Wednesday that she is going to depart her function on the WeightWatchers board of administrators, solely two months after the discuss present host publicly revealed she was taking a weight-loss treatment.
Winfrey, who has for the final 9 years been extensively thought-about the face of WeightWatchers, joined the corporate’s board of administrators in 2015. A press launch from WeightWatchers mentioned Winfrey, 70, determined to not stand for re-election.
The announcement of Winfrey’s departure despatched WeightWatchers shares plummeting. During premarket buying and selling on Thursday, shares within the weight-loss firm plunged greater than 25 per cent.
Winfrey pledged to donate her WeightWatchers inventory to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, D.C. The talk-show mogul owns a ten per cent stake within the firm.
“I look forward to continuing to advise and collaborate with WeightWatchers and CEO Sima Sistani in elevating the conversation around recognizing obesity as a chronic condition, working to reduce stigma, and advocating for health equity,” Winfrey mentioned in a press release.
“Weight Health is a critically important topic and one that needs to be addressed at a broader scale. I plan to participate in a number of public forums and events where I will be a vocal advocate in advancing this conversation.”
The WeightWatchers board of administrators mentioned it’s “supportive” of Winfrey’s resolution to donate her inventory within the firm. The board wrote that Winfrey’s goal in donating her shares to NMAAHC is to “highlight the contributions of African Americans and to eliminate any perceived conflict of interest around her taking weight loss medications.”
In December 2023, Winfrey instructed People journal she was utilizing an unnamed weight-loss drug as a “maintenance tool” for her fluctuating weight. The disclosure got here after Winfrey’s social media followers speculated that the star could also be taking Ozempic or one other related treatment.
Winfrey instructed People she made the choice to take a drugs that induces weight reduction after being “blamed and shamed” for her weight throughout her 25-year profession.
“I realized I’d been blaming myself all these years for being overweight, and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control,” she mentioned. “Obesity is a disease. It’s not about willpower — it’s about the brain.”
Winfrey mentioned she “released my own shame” and reached out to her physician to inquire about treatment choices.
“I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing,” she mentioned. “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.”
Alongside her treatment, Winfrey mentioned she nonetheless makes use of the WeightWatchers point-counting methodology and drinks a gallon of water day-after-day.
Thilo Semmelbauer, chairman of the WeightWatchers board, mentioned Winfrey has been an “inspiring presence and passionate advocate” inside the group. He thanked Winfrey for her “energy, dedication, and for continuing to play a role as collaborator” with the model.
Winfrey will donate her inventory through the firm’s upcoming buying and selling window in March.
WeightWatchers’ newest monetary report on Wednesday confirmed a complete lack of US$88.1 million within the firm’s fourth quarter of 2023. WeightWatchers’ gross revenue for a similar quarter got here in at US$124.9 million.
Revenue for the total 2023 fiscal 12 months reached US$889.6 million, virtually 15 per cent lower than the 12 months prior, the corporate reported.
Last 12 months, WeightWatchers dipped its toe within the weight-loss drug recreation and bought Sequence, a telehealth supplier that gives customers entry to medication used to deal with diabetes and weight problems, together with Ozempic.
Due to widespread demand, the producers of a number of diabetes medication, together with Ozempic, have skilled shortages which have continued into 2024.
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