Al Roker Urges Critics Not to Shame People Taking Weight Loss Drugs: ‘Stay Within Your Lane’

Al Roker urges people not to judge those who choose to use weight loss drugs.

Tuesday, Today co-host, 69, was on air and commented on Oprah Winfrey’s recent television interview, the so-called The Oprah Special: Shame, Guilt, and the Weight Loss Revolutionwhich discusses how the use of weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro has grown in popularity.

Roker — who had gastric bypass surgery in 2002 and has been vocal about his weight loss journey — said people shouldn’t be ashamed of how others approach their health.

“Everybody’s struggling with it, and we’re still trying to figure it out,” he said. “But there’s no shame, no game. Just stay within your lane and don’t make it difficult for anyone.”

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Al Roker.

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In 2022, Roker marked the 20th anniversary of the bypass operation on social networks. “Hard to believe it was 20 years ago today, I wore these size 54 Levi jeans to #gastricbypass at 340 lbs. and here I am today,” he wrote in a video of himself holding up his old jeans.

“It’s still a struggle, but I’ll never go back,” he vowed. “Every day I fail and struggle, but I never forget how far I’ve come.”

In June of that year, Roker continued to talk about his weight loss journey, noting how his physical and mental health had improved since incorporating light exercise and a low-carb diet into his daily routine.

“Exercise, and not extreme exercise — we’re doing that 30-day walking challenge — that improves, I think, your mental health,” he said at the time. “Combined with a low-carb diet, I’ve lost about 45 pounds in the last few months. I eat about 100 grams of carbs a day and walk.”

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