Oprah Winfrey says her experience with GLP-1 weight-loss medication has delivered an unexpected benefit beyond physical transformation: it erased her desire to drink alcohol.
In a new interview with People, the media icon revealed that in the more than two years since she began taking GLP-1s, her once-legendary tolerance for alcohol has quietly vanished. “I was a big fan of tequila,” Winfrey said. “I literally had 17 shots one night. I haven’t had a drink in years. The fact that I no longer even have a desire for it is pretty amazing.”
Medical research has increasingly shown that GLP-1 medications can reduce cravings not only for food, but also for substances such as alcohol, nicotine, and opioids. The drugs are now being studied and, in some cases, used as part of addiction treatment strategies, a development Winfrey says mirrors her own experience.
Now approaching her 72nd birthday on Jan. 29, Winfrey credits the medication with improving her overall quality of life, including her relationship with longtime partner Stedman Graham, whom she describes as “nothing but supportive.” She also says the changes have given her noticeably more energy and mental clarity.
Exercise remains a cornerstone of her routine. Winfrey works out for roughly two hours a day, six days a week, incorporating cardio, resistance training, and hiking. “I don’t recognize the person who feels sluggish when she doesn’t work out,” she said, underscoring how movement has become non-negotiable in her daily life.
Winfrey’s evolving perspective on health is also reflected in her upcoming book with obesity specialist Dr. Ania M. Jastreboff, Enough: Your Health, Your Weight and What It’s Like to Be Free, set for release on Jan. 13. She says she began GLP-1 treatment after accepting that obesity is not a failure of willpower but a medical condition that deserves medical care.
She acknowledges the medication will likely be part of her life long-term, sometimes spacing injections every 10 to 12 days rather than weekly because the effects linger. While she advises newcomers to ease into treatment to avoid side effects, her own have been minimal.
“I feel more alive and more vibrant than I’ve ever been,” Winfrey said, summing up a journey she describes as transformative in every sense.
