Oprah Winfrey Leaves WeightWatchers Board of Directors

WeightWatchers has announced that Oprah Winfrey will be leaving her role as part of the WeightWatchers board of directors. She has served on the board since 2015.

In a press release, Winfrey stated she looks forward to continuing to “advise and collaborate” with WeightWatchers and CEO Sima Sistani. She wishes to elevate the conversation around acknowledging that obesity is a chronic condition, reduce the stigma of those who struggle with the condition, and advocate for their health equity.

She said, “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.”

Winfrey plans to donate her interest in WeightWatchers to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. She said, “I have been a long-time supporter of this worthy organization, and I am proud to continue my support.”

Per CBS News, the former talk show host owns about 1.4% of the company’s shares, or about 1.3 million shares, according to data supplied by FactSet. Her stake in the company equals about $4.1 million.

Thilo Semmelbauer, chairman of the board, called Winfrey an “inspiring presence and passionate advocate” for WW members over the past eight years. He thanked her for her “energy, dedication, and for continuing to play a role as collaborator and thought partner going forward.”

Nearly a year ago, WeightWatchers said it was getting into the prescription drug weight loss business with a $106 million deal to buy Sequence, a telehealth provider with annual revenue of about $25 million and about 24,000 members.

In 2017, Winfrey credited WeightWatchers with helping her lose 45 pounds. “After spending literally years on more diets than I care to count, I finally made the shift from dieting to a lifestyle change.” She said that everyone is different and that WW worked for her because of the freedom it gave her to fuel her body and the ability to eat the foods she loves without feeling deprived and punished.