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Oprah Winfrey revealed in December that she was taking a weight-loss medication.Credit...Mike Blake/Reuters
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Oprah Winfrey said that she was stepping down from the board of WeightWatchers, a few months after going public about taking a medication for weight loss.
Ms. Winfrey has been the most prominent spokeswoman for WeightWatchers since joining its board in 2015, helping it weather competition from other weight-loss companies while opening up a broader conversation around obesity and diet.
Her endorsem*nt of WeightWatchers — she has said she lost 40 pounds using the company’s point system — convinced many others to sign up, analysts said.
The announcement sent WeightWatchers shares into a tailspin, with stock falling 25 percent in early trading Thursday.
The company said in a special filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday that Ms. Winfrey had notified the chairman that she would not be standing for re-election in May, concluding a nearly nine-year tenure on the board.
“Her decision was not the result of any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to the company’s operations, policies or practices,” WeightWatchers said in the filing.
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