Oprah Speaks for Millions

[sadie11 2]

Oprah is addicted to food like I am. And even with her personal chef and personal trainer(who come to her house for goodness sake's) and millions of assistants, she still can't lose weight and KEEP IT OFF.

So I feel vindicated about my choice of getting the band. If she can't do it with all the support and money in the world, I sure am going to have a really hard time too.

I got the band to help me keep it off and I feel I made the right choice. Yea!

I fell off the Band Wagon for a month or so but did not gain back all the weight I lost - just a small portion-- that's why I got the band -- to help save myself before disaster (or 40 pounds gained back!).

Thanks Oprah for helping realize I did the right thing! Get WLS for goodness sake and stop beating yourself up. Admit that eating is a very powerful impluse for you - get some help.

Sadie

[Donna113 2]

Oprah is addicted to food like I am. And even with her personal chef and personal trainer(who come to her house for goodness sake's) and millions of assistants, she still can't lose weight and KEEP IT OFF.

So I feel vindicated about my choice of getting the band. If she can't do it with all the support and money in the world, I sure am going to have a really hard time too.

I got the band to help me keep it off and I feel I made the right choice. Yea!

I fell off the Band Wagon for a month or so but did not gain back all the weight I lost - just a small portion-- that's why I got the band -- to help save myself before disaster (or 40 pounds gained back!).

Thanks Oprah for helping realize I did the right thing! Get WLS for goodness sake and stop beating yourself up. Admit that eating is a very powerful impluse for you - get some help.

Sadie

Sadie, you think Oprah's reading this thread? :smile:

[sadie11 2]

Sadie, you think Oprah's reading this thread? :smile:

Gee I would hope so! We have some great info for her-- yuk yuk

Sadie (not afraid to admit to having a Band!)

[Carrie_C 9]

Maybe we should all send an email through her website and tell her to come here and read!

[willowcat 93]

The main thing that bothers me about Oprah, other than being against WLS, is everytime she gains the weight back, she makes such a big deal about it, like it is the first time she has done it. Then when she loses it again, that is a big deal as well. It's like everything is about weight to her, nothing else is important.

OMG--isn't that all of us?! I've been dieting for the past 41 years! There have been times in my life that I weighed myself everyday multiple times a day (my scale was in the bathroom...and well, you know...). My days revolved around what I ate, didn't eat, wanted to eat, shouldn't have eaten.... Oprah resonates with people because when she talks about her weight, people can relate to it. Still, I've been none too kind to Oprah lately. It's a little bit satisfying (in a bad way, I know) to see Oprah gain weight again. All the research says that losing weight and keeping it off is practically impossible--the body's survival insticts kick in and save us from dying from starvation. The research also says that obesity is as much genetics as it is environment. When Oprah was successful losing weight, a little voice said, "She did it. Why can't I? What's wrong with me?" Now that Oprah's gaining weight again, that little voice can say, "There's nothing wrong with me. Even Oprah's getting fat again. See.. I told you."

[Carrie_C 9]

Yea, I feel the same way. But I am SO glad that I have the band and it helps keep me from gaining it back.

[shangefan 193]

I think there is enough to criticize Oprah about that we could spend more than a wee bit of time doing it. I must say, however, that I am alarmed by how harsh and, frankly, nasty some of the posts are. It is almost like people feel somehow vindicated that Oprah has regained the weight and simultaneously have some irrational rage focused on her.

I get that Oprah has not been kind about weight loss surgery. But guess what? Most people aren't. Otherwise, why would there be so many threads dedicated to coversations about whether to tell, who to tell, how to tell and when to tell that you have a band. I am scheduled to get the band in January and I'll admit that it took me years to get to a place where I could decide this is the right thing to do. There IS a stigma against it and it is not reasonable to somehow assume that Oprah would exist outside the hegemony of weight culture. She is, as has been pointed out, just a human. Let's allow her that.

None of this is to say that it isn't fair to critique her politics around this. What I am arguing is that the comments have gone far beyond that to something far more sinister.

As a media empire, Oprah has lots of power to influence public sentiment. That makes it important that people continue to try and influence her so that she can become at least kinder, even if she ultimately disagrees with WLS.

As to whether Oprah should consider WLS -- I think it is highly presumpious of anyone to try to make that determination. It reminds me of a friend who told me about being asked by the woman doing her pedicure if she had considered gastric bypass. What??? It is not appropriate and is unkind.

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful end of year. :thumbup:

[MacMadame 81]

But that's exactly why Oprah's attitude towards WLS pisses me off. She is in a great position to spread the mesasge -- that diet and exercise alone doesn't work and that WLS does work and is the only tool we have right now that does work.

[AZChick289 1]

Just cause Oprah says it doesn't make it so. She is just a rich woman who now thinks everyone listens to her .Money talks I guess . We made our choice to fix our problem let her make more money trying to figure it out. I used to really like her now what she says doesn't even phase me .. I chose the band and my only worry is I never want to loose it ..

[maddy 0]

Once O gets big enough(250-300lb range) she may have change of heart. Time and poundage(increase) can cause even the staunchest wls basher to look for way out. Im sure it crosses her mind many times a day as she changes outfits, just as it does regular lay person. Shes very attractive when at 150lbs(arent we all!).

[Headhunter 6]

And perhaps, just PERHAPS....Oprah has access to the finest medical minds on this planet....and just MAYBE they're telling her that it may not be the wisest thing to do?

I'm not the biggest Oprah fan. But as another poster alluded to, some of you seem to be taking a certain amount of delight in her inability to lose/keep weight off.

Consider the fact that WLS is just simply something that SOME people DON'T want to do. And, for very good reasons.

[maddy 0]

Perhaps.....O is happy fat? Could be, I dunno? Perhaps her med team is telling her she is happy fat? We must be going to different dr.s, lol! Maybe...she is telling herself she is fat, healthy, and happy(lies we tell ourselves)! Been there, done that! Please, if her wonderful planet dr.s are telling her dont get help for your weight(O), then what is she to do? I know ....think for herself.

No one should criticize another for weight gain and no one should take pleasure in anothers faults. Hers just happen to be front and center and she discusses it, so do we. If I put myself on tv and discussed my weight issues, so would others, of course.

Edited December 25, 2008 by maddy

[Carrie_C 9]

Maybe her doctors aren't the ones telling her that, maybe she is telling them that!

[marie715 0]

I am so with Coltonwade, gone4 ever, OH Juli, Jachut, cCarrie_C, bandofhope, snowinHim and others with their viewpoint of Oprah. When I read that she said she "Couldn't believe' that she let this happen, my initial thought was 'Guess what, Oprah? You're human. Just like the rest of us.' I think that is what she can't believe.

I didn't realize that Oprah bashed wls over the years. I try to stay away from her opinions.

Edited December 30, 2008 by marie715

[Carrie_C 9]

Well, she was on ET tonight going on and on again about how embarrassed she is. Give me a break.