Oprah Winfrey is overcoming decades of shame attached to her body, and she's admitting taking weight-loss medication ... even though she previously said she'd never do that to slim down.
After shedding 40 lbs this year, the billionaire TV mogul is done with cruel and insensitive conversations about her appearance -- gushing that pharmaceutical assistance has changed her relationship with her figure.
Oprah tells PEOPLE a doctor prescribed the meds to her following her "Life You Want" series' "The State Of Weight" taping back in July, where she realized she wasn't to blame for being overweight ... noting it was more about the brain than willpower.
With a new mindset, Oprah says weight-loss meds are a healthier alternative for her rather than yo-yo-ing, and she takes the medically-approved drug as, and when, needed.
Case in point, she took them just before Thanksgiving cause she knew she had "two weeks of solid eating" ... and, as a result, says she only gained half a pound rather than eight.
This comes in stark contrast to Oprah labeling weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro an "easy way out" earlier this year during a chat with WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani.
She hasn't specified the exact meds she takes -- though many health professionals have warned against most of them due to significant side effects -- but for O, it looks like a much-welcomed solution to her weight woes.