May 13th 2024.
During a recent livestream event for WeightWatchers, media mogul Oprah Winfrey opened up about her role in promoting diet culture over the past three decades. She acknowledged her past actions and expressed regret for being a "major contributor" to the harmful message of dieting.
Winfrey began by acknowledging her platform and influence in promoting weight loss through her magazine and talk show for the past 25 years. She admitted to hosting numerous weight loss shows and makeovers, which had become a staple in her television career.
She specifically recalled a highly-rated episode in 1988 where she rolled 67 pounds of fat on stage to demonstrate her drastic weight loss from a six-week fast. Looking back, she realizes that this sent a harmful message of extreme dieting and set an unrealistic standard for her viewers.
Sadly, Winfrey admitted that she began to gain the weight back immediately after the episode aired. She quotes the wise words of Maya Angelou, "When you know better, you do better," and expresses her desire to have these conversations as a way to do better in the future.
This livestream event came after Winfrey's decision to step down from the WeightWatchers board earlier this year, following her admission of using a weight loss drug. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, she explained that she left the board to have the freedom to openly discuss weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy in her television special.
Winfrey clarified that she did not want any appearance of a conflict of interest, as WeightWatchers is now also in the business of administering weight-loss medications. She emphasized the importance of being able to talk about whatever she wants without any limitations.
This emotional conversation revealed Winfrey's struggles with weight and her journey towards understanding the negative impact of promoting diet culture. She hopes to use her platform to spread awareness and encourage healthier approaches to weight and health.
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