today Oprah Winfrey sent Weight Watchers stock prices tumbling when she stepped down as the company's spokesperson after confirming recently she's taken medication to lose weight tonight we look at the ups and downs of weight loss from prescription drugs like OIC Real Housewife star Heather gay says she's never been happier but for others that Journey has had some unforeseen twists here's ABC's Deborah Roberts you represented body positivity and now some women are saying it's kind of a cout yeah like I've sold out I've given up the banner of you know relatable accept yourself love yourself and
it's disappointing to sad to know that body positivity was all a big lie because it's better to not be overweight known for her funloving and bold personality Heather gay has cemented herself as a favorite on the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City proof timeline screenshots in everything but lately it's her changing appearance that's making headlines that so-called OIC look that's seemingly everywhere these days everyone I knew was taking these gp1 medications losing weight and just bragging about how great it was and magical one of your co-stars on the show made a joke about your designer
outfit do you think it's a f I do I've never seen a corate in like size 14 you know have you pretty cutting yeah oh cutting but I've been called worse than size 14 Gucci I mean I've been called a manity been called Shrek I've been called um horrible things in private and public by my co-stars and by the general public so Heather tried something new the latest gamechanging weight loss drug it's the drug that's taking Hollywood and America by storm OIC originally meant to treat people with chronic medical conditions like type 2 diabetes one
of the biggest and most controversial weight loss crazes right here television icon Oprah Winfrey revealing she's using medication for weight loss I think that we had this rise in this interest in anti-obesity medications that really came from social media and television oh zic wovi and Manjaro are drugs experiencing a big surge in use for weight loss first it changed their bodies now it's changing their relationships now that I've lost the weight I want to experience more I missed out on so much because I was so worried um about my size I don't have to shop
at Big and Tall the good your sex life it's hotter yeah right it's hotter C the bad he wasn't noticing how happy I was with the weight loss it really told me that I deserve something better and all the Fallout if you had known that your marriage might be a casualty on this weight loss Journey would you take those pounds back some argue it's undoing Decades of progress in the body positivity and fat acceptance movements it is furthering The Narrative that thinness is the goal people don't need to be shamed about the size of their
body the pressure to be thin experts say can cause real damage some of the content that I see online regarding weight loss it just feels off often that phobia is either subtle or overtly within the conversation and just widely accepted well welcome to Beauty Lain laser this is the med spa where we say all the best no BS after talking to her doctor she took her first dose of semaglutide the active ingredient in OIC I didn't want to show up that at another party and see all of my friends 20 lb thinner and just be
resentful so there was almost a pressure there to try it absolutely a pressure and also just maybe a last hope you know so what are the key side effects so nausea is a component of the medications followed by vomiting potentially constipation some people that can say that they feel fatigue or tiredness these drugs can have serious side effects in including risk of thyroid cancer pancreatitis and hospitalization Heather says she's treated differently now better both on screen and off what do people start to say you look great you look thin what are you doing are you
on OIC I started to feel seen for the first time even after being on television writing a New York Times bestselling book for the first time I was being valued by my castmates by the public in a way that I had never been valued before and that felt to me sad I think it is important to recognize that looks and identity can be interwoven and if you change your look so much that you feel like a different person then your identity is changing unfortunately when we're dealing with obesity often there is an overlay of of
mental health disorders or maybe some issues with disordered eating May emerge and I want to make sure that I'm not doing that you know in this process there also may be issues with body dysmorphia the societal pressure to be thin is leading many to take these medications off label even when it's not medically necessary I am very adamant to not prescribe these medications in people that are solely using these for aesthetic purposes I really believe that this supports disordered eating eating disorders there's been a more than 93% increase in patients getting prescription semaglutide in the
past four years I really think that we need to be thoughtful and mindful about this we have a shortage of these medications for people that do need them after losing close to 30 lb Heather says there's a lesson in all of this not just for her but also for her daughters so what does that say to your daughters though you've tried to teach them you said to love themselves but you've been able to really finely accept yourself as a smaller person because of a drug so what does that say to them I want them to
feel empowered but as a mom of daughters it is a very nuanced Razor's Edge because I don't want to lie to them and say it doesn't matter matter what matters is on the inside but it does matter I don't know why that's the way it is in the world but that has been my experience that's a tough message it's a tough message and I don't know how to deliver it to him I have beautiful vibrant impowered daughters and I would hate for them to think that their value is limited to their dress size our thanks
to Deborah the full episode of the skinny confessions after OIC is now streaming on Hulu hi everyone George Stephanopoulos here thanks for checking out the ABC News YouTube channel if you'd like to get more videos show highlights and watch live event coverage click on the right over here to subscribe to our Channel and don't forget to download the ABC News app for breaking news alerts thanks for watching
