Oprah Winfrey Apologizes for Perpetuating Diet Culture

Oprah Winfrey is acknowledging the role she played in toxic diet culture -- and she's now trying to rectify that ... by embracing weight loss drugs.

The talk show legend opened up about her influence in the weight loss industry during a 3-hour live special for WeightWatchers this week -- and she owned the fact that she'd been feeding into this unhealthy trend for quite literally years.

Oprah says ... "I want to acknowledge that I have been a steadfast participant in this diet culture. Through my platforms, through the magazine, through the talk show for 25 years and online. I’ve been a major contributor to it."

She admitted this fixation on weight set an unrealistic standard for her audience over the course of decades ... which she nor anyone else could uphold.

OW was joined by Rebel Wilson and Amber Riley, as well as WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani, to discuss WW's shift away from diet culture. Instead, the company is now touting self-love and promoting medical intervention through drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.

Oprah herself has admitted to using weight-loss medication to aid in her 40-pound transformation. She even stepped down from the WW board earlier this year ... to avoid a conflict of interest as the company made its way into the weight-loss med game.

Bottom line ... there shouldn't be any shame in needing medical help for weight loss, and Oprah's now promoting weight loss in a very different way.