Oprah Winfrey is opening up about a new weight loss drug and how it helped her lose weight after years of struggling with obesity, causing critics to open up as well.
In a recent Op-Ed for Yahoo News, senior editor Mike Bebernes touches on Winfrey’s meteoric rise during the 80s as one of the most glowing TV personalities, whose journey with weight loss has been a topic of public interest and discussion. Her acknowledgment of taking a weight loss drug, despite her previous stance on such methods, reflected the complexity and challenges many individuals face in managing their weight, Bebernes wrote, adding that her decision to step down from the board of directors at WeightWatchers to avoid any perceived conflict of interest demonstrates her commitment to transparency and ethical considerations in her public roles.
He further stated that the 70-year-old’s openness about feeling shame due to false beliefs surrounding weight struggles highlights the emotional toll that societal perceptions and expectations can have on individuals dealing with weight-related issues. This candid admission may resonate with many who have experienced similar struggles and challenges, he continued.
“All these years, I thought all of the people who never had to diet were just using their willpower and they were, for some reason, stronger than me,” she said. She added that thanks to these new drugs, “there is now a sense of hope.”
Since opening up, scores of journalists have come out to give their perspectives on Winfrey’s choice.
*The following list has been compiled by Yahoo News.
“Oprah is conceding an uncomfortable truth: Diets rarely work. It doesn’t matter how much grit or willpower you have or how hard you’re willing to work, the weight comes back; it nearly always does. If Oprah’s army of chefs and trainers couldn’t transform her into a size 6 without drugs, then maybe it’s time to question the tired American (diet) dream that hard work = success and redefine success altogether.” — Adrienne Bitar, CNN
Her honesty, as always, is commendable
“As Winfrey herself explained last year of her regimen: ‘It’s not one thing. It’s everything.’ Let’s respect Winfrey for finally finding that ‘everything’ and being frank about her weight-loss journey.” — Charles Passy, MarketWatch
She should be battling to end weight stigma, not celebrating a new way to dodge it
“She doesn’t stop to ask if maybe fat phobia is the problem, not fat people.” — Mara Gordon, NPR
Her special felt like a love letter to Big Pharma
“Winfrey could have acknowledged the inequities around who can and cannot afford these drugs and their cost to the healthcare system, and asked what that will mean for evolving attitudes around shame and stigma about weight — the very issues that she claims to want to dismantle. But instead, she moved right on without using her platform to forcefully challenge the drugmakers on price, and then let her obesity expert guests (who had myriad industry conflicts) and even the drug makers themselves have the last word.” — Lisa Jarvis, Bloomberg
It’s not her job to defeat anti-fat bias all by herself
“I have a weird need for Oprah to be happy, because it feels like our happiness is intertwined. People like us will never relinquish the desire to be thin. … I didn’t create this system, I’m just trying to live within it. Like Oprah, I’m not going to be shamed for my desire to be thin.” — Kristine Lloyd, Salon
She should be commended for not acting as if these drugs are a miracle cure
“There aren’t simple answers here. But Winfrey’s wise words — that the availability of this medication feels ‘like redemption, like a gift’ — offer a jumping-off point for some honest talk about how to handle this wonderful new opportunity that science has brought us.” — Ruth Marcus, Washington Post
She has every right to find joy in finally meeting her own personal goals
“Watching Oprah stand onstage, towering above the audience, wearing the kind of figure-hugging monochromatic jumpsuits she now favors, I realize that this may not be about us. This is about Oprah. You may find inspiration in her final weight-loss chapter. Even if you don’t, she clearly has found a way to love her body. It is hard to judge that.” — Tressie McMillan Cottom, New York Times
