Oprah Winfrey reflects on turning 70 and reveals she 'doesn't have a fear of ... trends now

Oprah Winfrey reflected on turning 70 and how her 'number one concern' is her health in her later years in a candid new interview.

The hosting icon, who reached the milestone in January, said she 'doesn't live with a fear of death' but is focused on a healthy lifestyle - months after revealing her use of weight loss drugs to lose more than 40lbs.

Speaking to People magazine as part of its star-studded 50th anniversary issue, Winfrey said: 'For everybody who's approaching this stage in your life, your number one concern is your health. I don't live with a fear of death, but I live with a conscious acknowledgement that it's possible at any time... 

'I would say that one of the reasons why I can sit in wisdom now, and I literally sit in the wisdom and I make no apologies for it, is because I have paid attention and I am really fully conscious. I've been paying attention for a very long time.

She added that 'gratitude really is my religion' and that her outlook on life has not changed.

She said: 'When you’re grateful for what you have, you end up seeing you have more than you imagine. Start with your breath, and recognize what an absolute miracle it is that your heart’s still pumping. That is a revelation to me every day. I’m grateful for it all.'

Last month Winfrey opened up about her battle with obesity and how food took over her life during her weight loss special - but viewers flocked online to slam her for 'promoting' the drugs. 

Speaking in An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution the star fought back tears as she revealed how the drugs had meant she was no longer 'constantly thinking about what the next meal is going to be'. 

She said 'for 25 years, making fun of my weight was national sport' and that over the years she had 'lost some weight' and 'put back on some weight' but since starting to take medication she had stopped 'obsessing' about food. 

Along with messages of support online, some viewers slammed Oprah, accusing her of 'promoting big pharma and pushing Ozempic' and criticizing her for taking the drugs after spending nine years promoting Weight Watchers. 

The show was released days after Oprah quit her Weight Watchers board role, citing a potential 'conflict of interest' with the show, which heavily featured weight loss drug brands. 

During the show, Oprah pushed back at people she said wanted to 'shame' her for her weight and for taking the drugs.