Oprah Winfrey is acknowledging her role in perpetuating diet culture and vows to make amends. During the "Making The Shift: A New Way to Think About Weight" event hosted by WeightWatchers on Thursday, May 9, the iconic talk show host expressed her determination to no longer allow diet culture and its associated shame to control her life.
Reflecting on the damaging impact of societal body standards, Winfrey, 70, emphasized the harmful effects of internalizing these norms. She remarked on the criticism, scrutiny, and shame individuals face for not meeting certain size standards, asserting her refusal to continue participating in such judgment.
Joined by guests like Rebel Wilson, Busy Philipps, and Amber Riley, Winfrey stressed the need to reject the notion that self-worth is determined by physical appearance. She candidly shared her own experiences, including a past diet where she endured months of starvation, and advocated for viewing obesity as a disease rather than a character flaw.
In her heartfelt declaration, Winfrey affirmed her commitment to fostering a more inclusive and compassionate approach to body acceptance and self-love.
The TV icon emphasized that the purpose of the conversation is not only to liberate oneself from societal scrutiny but also to refrain from judging others for their choices—a behavior she acknowledged and deeply regretted engaging in herself.
"I want to acknowledge my active participation in perpetuating this diet culture," she confessed. "Through my platforms, magazine, talk show, and online presence over the past 25 years, I've been a significant contributor to it. Weight loss shows and makeovers have been a staple of my television career."
She went on to express remorse for a particular moment from her talk show's history—the infamous "wagon of fat" demonstration from 1988. In this regrettable act, she rolled out a wagon filled with fat to symbolize the weight she had lost, a decision she now views as misguided.
"It sent a message that starving yourself with a liquid diet set a standard for people watching that I nor anybody else could uphold, and—I've said this before—the very next day, I began to gain the weight back," she explained.
In an effort to illustrate her evolving perspective on diet culture, which once prioritized weight and thinness as the ultimate indicators of health, Winfrey quoted Maya Angelou, emphasizing, "When you know better, you do better."
"These conversations for me are an effort to do better," she added.
Acknowledging her past actions, Winfrey expressed her desire to improve, recognizing that the "wagon of fat" moment was fueled by years of internalized blame for her weight struggles. She revealed that it took her until recently to fully process the shame she felt privately as her very public fluctuations in weight became fodder for national ridicule.
Reflecting on her media portrayal over the years, Winfrey disclosed in December 2023, "It was public sport to make fun of me for 25 years."
She admitted, "I have been blamed and shamed, and I blamed and shamed myself."
During the conversation, Winfrey shared with PEOPLE her current approach to health, which encompasses regular exercise, lifestyle adjustments, and the incorporation of weight-loss medication.
She disclosed that her perspective on using pharmaceutical aids shifted in July 2023 during a panel discussion with weight loss experts for Oprah Daily's Life You Want series, titled The State of Weight.
"I had the biggest 'aha' moment along with many people in that audience," she recounted. "I realized I'd been blaming myself all these years for being overweight, and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower can control."
"Obesity is a disease," she emphasized. "It's not about willpower—it's about the brain."
The Quran - Chapter Qaf : 32 - 35
˹And it will be said to them,˺ “This is what you were promised, for whoever ˹constantly˺ turned ˹to Allah˺ and kept up ˹His commandments˺—
who were in awe of the Most Compassionate without seeing ˹Him˺,1 and have come with a heart turning ˹only to Him˺.
Enter it in peace. This is the Day of eternal life!”
There they will have whatever they desire, and with Us is ˹even˺ more.
Who are entitled to the eternal Paradise of God? They are the people who, in this world, went in constant fear of God’s punishment.
Those who were afraid before they actually came face to face with their Maker will be the ones who will be safe from fear and grief on that Day, whereas others who knew no fear will be terror-struck.
Fear of God creates heavenly attributes in man, while a lack of fear creates the attributes of Hell.
