# Oprah's "fallen off the wagon"



## ashmamma84 (Dec 9, 2008)

Oprah Winfrey says she weighs 200 pounds

By CARYN ROUSSEAU, Associated Press Writer 
Tue Dec 9, 6:24 AM PST

When it comes to her weight, Oprah Winfrey has always been straightforward.

The talk show queen continues the honesty, saying in the January issue of "O" magazine out Tuesday that she now weighs 200 pounds and has "fallen off the wagon" when it comes to healthy living.

"I'm mad at myself," Winfrey writes in an article provided early to The Associated Press by Harpo Productions.

"I'm embarrassed," she writes. "I can't believe that after all these years, all the things I know how to do, I'm still talking about my weight. I look at my thinner self and think, `How did I let this happen again?'"

In the piece, Winfrey, 54, details her recent struggles with an out-of-balance thyroid and how the condition made her develop "a fear of working out." She says she's added 40 pounds to her frame since she weighed 160 pounds in 2006.

"Yes, you're adding correctly; that means the dreaded 2-0-0," Winfrey writes. "I was so frustrated I started eating whatever I wanted -- and that's never good."

Winfrey also writes that her goal is no longer to be thin; instead, she wants to be strong, healthy and fit. She hopes to get started with her upcoming "Best Life Week," starting Jan. 5 with an episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" during which she is expected to talk candidly about her weight.

Winfrey famously wheeled a wagon loaded with fat onto the set of her talk show in 1988 to represent a 67-pound weight loss while wearing a pair of size 10 Calvin Klein jeans. She had lost the pounds with a liquid protein diet.

"I had literally starved myself for four months -- not a morsel of food," Winfrey recalled in 2005. "Two hours after that show, I started eating to celebrate -- of course, within two days those jeans no longer fit!"

Winfrey's weight has yo-yoed to the delight of the tabloid press ever since. She weighed as many as 237 pounds and by late 1990 admitted she had regained most of the 67 pounds, saying "I'll never diet again."

In 1994, she finished the Marine Corps Marathon and by 1996 hired personal trainer Bob Greene, saying her roller-coaster weight saga was over.

But now, 20 years since the Calvin Klein jeans episode, Winfrey finds herself tipping the scales again, telling AP Television last week that she has yet to chose a gown for President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural ball next month.

"I had a dress on the vision board, but I'm not sure that's gonna fit," Winfrey said. "So I have to work on something else."

In the latest "O" magazine article, Winfrey writes that she hit rock bottom when she wanted to skip out on an April 26 taping with Cher and Tina Turner in Las Vegas

"I felt like a fat cow," Winfrey writes. "I wanted to disappear."

Winfrey's weight and height put her body mass index at 31.8, which is obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC says people who are obese are "at higher risk for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol."

It seems Winfrey is aware of the health risks, inviting both Greene and Dr. Mehmet Oz to her show during the first week of January, along with spirituality experts, sex therapists and financial expert Suze Orman

Winfrey also is expected to discuss her weight on her XM satellite radio station's "The Gayle King Show" on Jan. 5 and will host interactive live Web casts at Oprah.com the week of Jan. 12 to 16 every night at 9 p.m. EST.

Winfrey, an admitted food addict, sounds almost apologetic in her article.

"I definitely wasn't setting an example," she writes. "I was talking the talk, but I wasn't walking the walk. And that was very disappointing to me."


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## TraciJo67 (Dec 9, 2008)

How sad that she just can't accept herself as she is. She's a beautiful, vibrant, intelligent and successful woman at any weight.


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## ashmamma84 (Dec 9, 2008)

TraciJo67 said:


> How sad that she just can't accept herself as she is. She's a beautiful, vibrant, intelligent and successful woman at any weight.



I know! I think she looks absolutely fabulous and dresses her curves quite well. I'm sure her fat is of highest quality anyhow...isn't chef Art still cooking for her?


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## Spanky (Dec 9, 2008)

TraciJo67 said:


> How sad that she just can't accept herself as she is. She's a beautiful, vibrant, intelligent and successful woman at any weight.



I agree. Can't stand to watch her or her show or listen to her politics. But there is no denying her accomplishments and (I think) her beauty. Truly a BBW.


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## Blackjack (Dec 9, 2008)

You know, I'd think that the "healthy living wagon" that she supposedly fell off of would probably be against the yo-yo dieting that she's been doing since... well, about as long as I can remember.


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## TraciJo67 (Dec 9, 2008)

ashmamma84 said:


> I know! I think she looks absolutely fabulous and dresses her curves quite well. I'm sure her fat is of highest quality anyhow...isn't chef Art still cooking for her?



Per square inch, her fat certainly is the wealthiest there is 

Well-coiffed too, I might add. 

Seriously, I do feel bad for her. I cannot understand why she battles these demons. She's not talking about her health (at least, I haven't seen that). She's just not aesthetically pleased with her own appearance. She's an excellent example of how we can be our own worst enemy .. and she's certainly not a good role model for other women who struggle to accept themselves and to let go of the ridiculous notion that we have to appear physically perfect in order to be loved.

I've got scars, stretch marks, sagging skin, baggy thighs, wrinkles ... the whole nine yards. I don't care. I've long ago given up on the notion that I have to be perfect for anyone. I think that my husband is damn lucky to have me, just as I am. The days of hiding myself behind layers of clothes and beneath covers and in darkness are long over. It's a liberating feeling, and I love it. He does too  I don't think that men are anywhere near as critical as we are with ourselves (and with each other, for that matter). Obviously, it's something that Oprah still struggles with. She doesn't see herself as others see her. No amount of wealth, privilege, success is going to make her like what she sees in the mirror. That's just sad.


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## Tad (Dec 9, 2008)

The cynical part of me can't help but think.....gee, she might have been in danger of seeming to wealthy, too successful, too distant from her core audience. The renewed weight struggle will no doubt make her seem more human, and give her something new to bond with listeners about. It can't but help her continued success.

I don't think that she is that cynical, to gain weight for a reason like that. But having gained it, to get the most out of it, and of losing it? Yah, I'm cynical enough to believe that


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## HottiMegan (Dec 9, 2008)

Oprah reminds me totally of my mom. 
My mom has been fat her whole life and hated it. She is always trying one diet scheme or another. She loses a few pounds and gives it up. I have yet to talk to her when she's not planning a new diet or on one or beating her self up for giving one up. I don't know if she talks to me about all her diets in hopes that I will follow her or what.


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## imfree (Dec 9, 2008)

Blackjack said:


> You know, I'd think that the "healthy living wagon" that she supposedly fell off of would probably be against the yo-yo dieting that she's been doing since... well, about as long as I can remember.



I just pray that Oprah finally gets off that diet roller-coaster
and stops playing yo-yo before it kills her.

Many times I wonder if at least part obesity's health dangers 
are caused by yo-yo dieting.


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## Tad (Dec 9, 2008)

imfree said:


> Many times I wonder if at least part obesity's health dangers
> are caused by yo-yo dieting.



Oh, yah, they've found strong evidence of that. I can't remember the details of the study, but I think it was found that the immune system was much weaker in people who had two or more significant weight cycles, and there has been some other work around the issue as well. But it is not an easy thing to measure.


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## mossystate (Dec 9, 2008)

While I feel for her lack of self esteem, I really hate that she has such a huge platform to live out every bump in her road, and to ' share ' it with the world. 

One minute she is talking about making change in the world ( and I am not talking about some of the flaky, dangerously narcissistic books and people she touts, which are more about searching for and finding a way to be anything but about anyone other than the person reading it/listening ) and the next, she is berating women for wearing white pants if they are over a size 8. What that has to do with loving oneself and reaching the ' internal Nirvana in all of us '...confuses me.

I hope she disappears for a good amount of time. Go do good work that does not need to be supported with the adulation of a crowd, or the bright spotlight. Ok, maybe once a week you still get that. I think her show has become means for her to try and fight her personal demons. Too bad she can't just....be. Woman, you are never going to be a size 6, no matter what. You are saying you are defective, because you simply have not found the secret combination to that perfect life, where everything is ok because you look a certain way. Ack. Problem is, you are not just scolding yourself...you are scolding millions of other people, who I thought were supposed to be viewed as wonderfully made and born. Step away and get to believing what you preach . You might just be ok with a size 18...or a 10...or a 26.

Time for Oprah to take it private.


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## steely (Dec 9, 2008)

I have always thought that Oprah could do so much for the size acceptance movement,if she could just accept herself.The huge influence she has would be put to so much better use if she could just say,I am one of the wealthiest,most successful,beautiful women alive,why does it matter what I weigh?If I can,you can,too!Being fat is not the end all and be all of the world.

So intelligent,yet so ruled by what society says you should be to succeed.Even though she has proven them wrong.It's sad.


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## mango (Dec 9, 2008)

*Wow.

All that money and yet the 'big O' can't buy herself any self confidence or a lift in her self esteem.


Why can't she just be an elegant fat diva like Aretha Franklin and the like?



Self pride isn't sold in bottles.

:doh:*


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## KHayes666 (Dec 9, 2008)

steely said:


> I have always thought that Oprah could do so much for the size acceptance movement,if she could just accept herself.The huge influence she has would be put to so much better use if she could just say,I am one of the wealthiest,most successful,beautiful women alive,why does it matter what I weigh?If I can,you can,too!Being fat is not the end all and be all of the world.
> 
> So intelligent,yet so ruled by what society says you should be to succeed.Even though she has proven them wrong.It's sad.



That was the point I was making in a different thread.....if someone like Oprah came out and said "fat is ok", then a lot of people would join in. 

People with power should use it for the right reasons, but sometimes it doesn't always work like that.


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## William (Dec 9, 2008)

Hi 

Well The Huffington Post quoted her saying:

........Winfrey says she's abandoned trying to get thin. She just wants to be strong, healthy and fit. She hopes to get started with her upcoming "Best Life Week," starting Jan. 5 with an episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" during which she is expected to talk candidly about her weight..........

The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/09/oprah-im-mad-at-myself-im_n_149512.html

William



ashmamma84 said:


> I know! I think she looks absolutely fabulous and dresses her curves quite well. I'm sure her fat is of highest quality anyhow...isn't chef Art still cooking for her?


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## steely (Dec 9, 2008)

KHayes666 said:


> That was the point I was making in a different thread.....if someone like Oprah came out and said "fat is ok", then a lot of people would join in.
> 
> People with power should use it for the right reasons, but sometimes it doesn't always work like that.



Exactly,if Oprah says it's ok,then it's ok.That's what a lot of women would think and they'd follow.


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## steely (Dec 9, 2008)

William said:


> Hi
> 
> Well The Huffington Post quoted her saying:
> 
> ...



I hope you're right.I'd love for her to do a whole show about being overweight but healthy about it.We all know it can be done.But then how would she dump Dr.Oz.Hopefully she could convince him,too.


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## Miss Vickie (Dec 9, 2008)

mossystate said:


> While I feel for her lack of self esteem, I really hate that she has such a huge platform to live out every bump in her road, and to ' share ' it with the world.
> 
> One minute she is talking about making change in the world ( and I am not talking about some of the flaky, dangerously narcissistic books and people she touts, which are more about searching for and finding a way to be anything but about anyone other than the person reading it/listening ) and the next, she is berating women for wearing white pants if they are over a size 8. What that has to do with loving oneself and reaching the ' internal Nirvana in all of us '...confuses me.
> 
> ...



Yes! Word for word, this is exactly how I feel. I just could never articulate it 1/10th as well as you have.

Will you marry me? :smitten:


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## Les Toil (Dec 9, 2008)

TraciJo67 said:


> Seriously, I do feel bad for her. I cannot understand why she battles these demons. She's not talking about her health (at least, I haven't seen that). She's just not aesthetically pleased with her own appearance. She's an excellent example of how we can be our own worst enemy .. and she's certainly not a good role model for other women who struggle to accept themselves and to let go of the ridiculous notion that we have to appear physically perfect in order to be loved.
> 
> I've got scars, stretch marks, sagging skin, baggy thighs, wrinkles ... the whole nine yards. I don't care. I've long ago given up on the notion that I have to be perfect for anyone. I think that my husband is damn lucky to have me, just as I am. The days of hiding myself behind layers of clothes and beneath covers and in darkness are long over. It's a liberating feeling, and I love it. He does too  I don't think that men are anywhere near as critical as we are with ourselves (and with each other, for that matter). Obviously, it's something that Oprah still struggles with. She doesn't see herself as others see her. No amount of wealth, privilege, success is going to make her like what she sees in the mirror. That's just sad.



Both paragraphs/statements stand on their own and they both deserve a rousing applause. Very well put, Traci, and I couldn't agree more.


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## mossystate (Dec 9, 2008)

Miss Vickie said:


> Will you marry me? :smitten:



Tell Burtimus to set another plate at the table. :batting:


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## Fascinita (Dec 9, 2008)

You know. Enough already with her feeding into this fat-neurotic thing. Is she really so important that a 40-lb weight gain takes on the proportions of a tragedy? 

I love her for showing the world what a chunky woman of color can do. But her megalomania and her fixation on weight has done more harm over the last twenty years, especially for women, than maybe the rest of her accomplishments can make up for.

Good luck to Oprah with her battle. But she needs to stop scapegoating her fat and blaming whatever the rest of her personal problems are on it. And please, I wish she would stop in her tracks and realize what an awful example she has managed to set for our culture the last 25 years, at least when it comes to body image. The problem is she works really hard to be an influential force on our culture. And OTOH, no one seems to question her workings anymore. Sometimes I wonder if Oprah has not become a kind of deity. Well, I'd like her see act more human and less like a would-be perfect goddess of the boob tube. Or if she can't, I'd like to see us rolling our eyes at her from time to time. Enough of this yo-yo weight thing already, Oprah.

She says she is ashamed? Maybe she should be ashamed of buying into fat-phobia--hook, line and sinker, like the rest of us mere mortals in the culture at large, INSTEAD of using her considerable gifts and money to work to dismantle it.

Ugh. I'm just kind of disgusted by the whole thing.

OTOH, thanks for the article, ashmamma. It appears to have generated some pretty smart, pretty funny posts about wealth per fat inch, about giving up on having to be perfect for anyone else, etc. lol  :bow:


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## Miss Vickie (Dec 9, 2008)

mossystate said:


> Tell Burtimus to set another plate at the table. :batting:



Would fettuccine alfredo do for dinner? And pumpkin pie for dessert?


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## Mini (Dec 9, 2008)

Am I the only one who's picturing her scoring cans of gravy off a dude in a trench coat in some seedy back alley? 

I can see her now, smeared with turkey drippings, passed out in a gutter, dress torn, hair matted, and jugs of eggnog akimbo.

OK, I'm an asshole and I think Oprah's somewhat worse than communism.


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## mossystate (Dec 9, 2008)

Miss Vickie said:


> Would fettuccine alfredo do for dinner? And pumpkin pie for dessert?



Your wife says...yes!!:smitten:


Mini said:


> Am I the only one who's picturing her scoring cans of gravy off a dude in a trench coat in some seedy back alley?
> 
> I can see her now, smeared with turkey drippings, passed out in a gutter, dress torn, hair matted, and jugs of eggnog akimbo.



This is just your horniness talking.


----

If it were not about fat, she would find something else. And that concludes the ' duh ' portion of our program.


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## Smushygirl (Dec 9, 2008)

I'm sorry, but she makes me ill. I get blinded by the sun that shines out of her copious behind! (Not that a copious behind is a bad thing).

I agree with Miss Mossy, but Oprah will never have the humility to take this private. What she needs to do is throw out Stedman, move in with Gayle, and eat what she wants. Then and only then will she be happy. That is her last hurdle.


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## LalaCity (Dec 9, 2008)

I'm going to come out and say I sympathize with Oprah. Yes, those of you who have commented on the harm she's done to fat women with her own public lack of self-esteem are correct, but I chalk that up to ignorance on her part -- as in, most people are still completely ignorant that size acceptance really exists. Yes, they might process some of the size-positive rhetoric that exists in mainstream culture, but that message only extends to women who are maybe a size 12, a 14 at most. The concept that a woman is allowed to feel sexy, beautiful and healthy at 200 lbs and above is still alien to almost everyone outside of this movement, unfortunately -- probably even to Oprah. I mean -- I had no idea that true size acceptance (and by that, I mean more than just "I may be fat and unattractive but I still have worth") existed until a couple of years ago, when I stumbled upon this site. 

From my perspective, Oprah is trying to insulate herself from criticism that she is "irresponsible" and sending the wrong message to the public by "letting herself go." By admitting her "failure" and self-disgust she probably thinks it will sound like she is finally accepting responsibility and her need to address her "out-of-control" habits. Yeah, it's unpleasant to us in the SA movement and anathema to what we're trying to do -- but, let's face it, before we came to SA many, _many_ of us did the same thing. Perhaps we should make a concerted effort to reach Oprah with an explanation of SA, really open her up to the concept, instead of assuming she already knows about it and has chosen to reject it.

Second, I think it's easy to be frustrated with someone who has so many resources beyond out wildest dreams but can't seem to get her personal demons under control. But let's remember that no amount of money can undo the low self-esteem, insecurity and hurt feelings of an abusive childhood, which is what she experienced. And, like many people who have gone through such abuse, she is likely very sensitive to criticism. I know we have all been subject to taunts and abuse over our weight, but I can't imagine my personal habits and body shape being the butt of cruel jokes to literally millions of people. Losing weight protects her, to a certain point, from such cruelty --from dehumanizing treatment -- and when she gains she is probably fearful that it will start up anew. I know exactly how that feels.

Lastly, I am always a bit sad when I perceive a lack of sympathy here for those of us who are not very far along yet on the journey toward self-esteem. I get the feeling sometimes that there is little tolerance for women in the size acceptance movement who are not perfectly fat, happy nymphs who delight in their size. I absolutely commend those women who embrace themselves -- but please remember, not all of us are there yet, even after years of trying. Some of us were raised in such a way that the idea that we could be anything other than miserable and self-loathing as a fat person was unheard of and came to us like an epiphany when we finally discovered Dims.


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## Mini (Dec 9, 2008)

LalaCity said:


> I'm going to come out and say I sympathize with Oprah. Yes, those of you who have commented on the harm she's done to fat women with her own public lack of self-esteem are correct, but I chalk that up to ignorance on her part -- as in, most people are still completely ignorant that size acceptance really exists. Yes, they might process some of the size-positive rhetoric that exists in mainstream culture, but that message only extends to women who are maybe a size 12, a 14 at most. The concept that a woman is allowed to feel sexy, beautiful and healthy at 200 lbs and above is still alien to almost everyone outside of this movement, unfortunately -- probably even to Oprah. I mean -- I had no idea that true size acceptance (and by that, I mean more than just "I may be fat and unattractive but I still have worth") existed until a couple of years ago, when I stumbled upon this site.
> 
> From my perspective, Oprah is trying to insulate herself from criticism that she is "irresponsible" and sending the wrong message to the public by "letting herself go." By admitting her "failure" and self-disgust she probably thinks it will sound like she is finally accepting responsibility and her need to address her "out-of-control" habits. Yeah, it's unpleasant to us in the SA movement and anathema to what we're trying to do -- but, let's face it, before we came to SA many, _many_ of us did the same thing. Perhaps we should make a concerted effort to reach Oprah with an explanation of SA, really open her up to the concept, instead of assuming she already knows about it and has chosen to reject it.
> 
> ...



Call me insensitive, but the day I have sympathy for a billionaire with more power and sway than all of us combined is the day I grow a third arm and become a crime fighter. She can buy some fuckin' self-esteem.


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## Fascinita (Dec 9, 2008)

I hold out hope that she'll find whatever the hell is up her fabulous ass, extract it smartly (imagine the pop?), give a happy sigh of relief, and settle down to a quiet old life (with Gayle, perhaps.)

Power-mania. I wonder what it's like to be her. I can imagine that she's ordinary, like the rest of us, and that she gets up every day scared as hell to have people find out, and determined as the devil not to let that happen.

I think this because I've had moments kind of like that--although clearly I am not powerful enough to give Mini (or anyone else, for that matter) wet dreams about seeing me in the gutter groveling for gravy.


ETA: On the other hand, I do love Oprah for this sense of responsibility she seems to have to show the world that women of color are not second best. She made that her mission, I think. Whatever her motivations are, I'm not sure. I am totally grateful to her for it, though. It's just that this has all gotten out of hand.


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## Santaclear (Dec 9, 2008)

I can't sympathize with her at all, really. Not in the light of what effect and influence she has. The values she's encouraging are WRONG (and I'm not saying that as an FA - they're wrong in so many ways.) She's more than her body, more than her fat and besides, she looks GOOD! Yes, it's about how she FEELS but at this point she needs to fucking learn how to _feel good_, or if not, stop making drama about it.

She projects her own views on all women who struggle with body image.


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## ICEMANSS00 (Dec 9, 2008)

It's sad that Oprah won't accept her full figuredness and move forward. She is so awesome in so many ways and I wish she could see the beauty that we see in her.


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## LalaCity (Dec 9, 2008)

Mini said:


> She can buy some fuckin' self-esteem.



Well, see -- that's what I'm saying. It doesn't work that way. Some people can't seem to achieve a sense of self-worth no matter how much money they have, how much they've achieved, and how much "personal work" they've done to acquire it. Don't get me wrong -- she probably has self-esteem about other parts of her life, but I can understand if her feelings of unhappiness about her body persist, may never go away. I often think I will never lose my own case of body dysphoria (if it can be called that).


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## Mini (Dec 9, 2008)

LalaCity said:


> Well, see -- that's what I'm saying. It doesn't work that way. Some people can't seem to achieve a sense of self-worth no matter how much money they have, how much they've achieved, and how much "personal work" they've done to acquire it. Don't get me wrong -- she probably has self-esteem about other parts of her life, but I can understand if her feelings of unhappiness about her body persist, may never go away. I often think I will never lose my own case of body dysphoria (if it can be called that).



See, that's the pathetic thing in my mind. She can get *anything*, any kind of help she needs. She has access to the kind of resources that most of us can only dream about, and she's still fucked up. At what point do we tell her to get over herself and just stop the bitching? No one would even notice if she didn't keep talking about it.


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## Les Toil (Dec 9, 2008)

I think we all have to bear in mind that the day someone in the entertainment business feels fine and dandy and accepting about adding ten or so pounds to their body, that's the day pigs will grow wings and fly. 

The consensus here is that Oprah has money and money can buy you anything including a great self-image of them self. Believe it or not money can NOT buy that. As much as I bitch about Oprah sending out crappy messages to young people (mainly females) about their bodies, she's in the business of entertainment and that business is hard as HELL on fat. And again, money won't make a person immune to the scorn they receive from being under that magnifying glass. 

In whatever ostentacious manner she does it, Oprah still gets positive things done and she's doing MUCH more good with her money than most millionaires in the entertainment field. I'm not so sure where the abject hatred comes from towards this woman. She's pretty much no different than any other TV personality that bores me to tears. At least Oprah gets a kick out of helping others. She gets off on the praises and the thank-yous like a zillion people on this planet would. She loves opening a new school in some needy country. She loves introducing her viewers to some singer that she thinks will steal the world's heart. She loves giving a year's worth of groceries to a single mom that lost her job and can't buy food for all her kids. If there's any malice behind her actions, maybe I'm not seeing it.

While you or I may have once found ourselves shedding tears about some personal esteem problem that we just can't shake, bear in mind there's someone in dismal survival mode wanting to slap our faces for sulking while having a roof over our heads and a plate of food in front of us. For every powerful person we're scoffing at for their decisions, there's an equal number of people FAR below our social station that are judging us for the decisions we make and the things we do with our money and the amount of food which I put on my plate while they go hungry. 

Point being, money ain't buying self-esteem, happiness or common sense. 

I personally wish Oprah would take on WHY weight is the weightiest topic in her industry. Seems like Tyra's addressing that much more aggressively. Although I bet Tyra would, by any means possible, prevent herself from getting anywhere NEAR Oprah size.


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## mossystate (Dec 9, 2008)

LalaCity said:


> Well, see -- that's what I'm saying. It doesn't work that way. Some people can't seem to achieve a sense of self-worth no matter how much money they have, how much they've achieved, and how much "personal work" they've done to acquire it. Don't get me wrong -- she probably has self-esteem about other parts of her life, but I can understand if her feelings of unhappiness about her body persist, may never go away. I often think I will never lose my own case of body dysphoria (if it can be called that).



I agree. Money does not mean squat, when it comes to the things that can plague any person.

I will say though, lots of people who have had magnificent, ,very public stages, have ' allowed ' their tender issues to fuck with multitudes ( while not comparing Oprah to very nasty figures throughout history, let's face it, they all had huge demons, which only can be truly pitied if they are not taking a bunch of others with them, down that rabbit hole ). I do not think Oprah should ' just get over it '. I just want her to us her intelligence to recognize when she should stop damaging so many others. She will now step up her lecturing. This public announcing how disgusted she is with herself will be taken to a whole new level...or she will crash. 

I don't want her to crash. At the end of the day, she is not a BIG STAR...she is merely human. I would like to see those closest to her have the guts to tell her she is harming others, while still loving her and wanting the best for...her...the individual. Perhaps Maya Angelou? Hmmmmmmm.


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## Fascinita (Dec 9, 2008)

Les Toil said:


> I think we all have to bear in mind that the day someone in the entertainment business feels fine and dandy and accepting about adding ten or so pounds to their body, that's the day pigs will grow wings and fly.
> 
> The consensus here is that Oprah has money and money can buy you anything including a great self-image of them self. Believe it or not money can NOT buy that. As much as I bitch about Oprah sending out crappy messages to young people (mainly females) about their bodies, she's in the business of entertainment and that business is hard as HELL on fat. And again, money won't make a person immune to the scorn they receive from being under that magnifying glass.
> 
> ...




Les, this is a smart reading of her celebrity. She IS an entertainer. But on the other hand, she has built her entertainment empire on narcissistic self-absorption psychobabble. It crosses the line into shamanism, and she seems blissfully un-self-aware of the negative impact her "oeuvre" has had on our culture. She certainly has had a positive impact as well. What she does with her money is none of my business, except I think she's got way too much of it and way too much power. She's a little drunk on it, don't you find?

I giver her proper respect for standing as a role model of what's possible for women of color, though--I'll do it again and again. But she's also become kind of monstrous. At some point, it's time to take a step back and re-assess.


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## Fascinita (Dec 9, 2008)

mossystate said:


> Perhaps Maya Angelou? Hmmmmmmm.



I doubt it. Pretty far gone, as well.

It needs to be Gayle. It needs to be someone who loves her for the person she is, not for what she's done for them.

Maybe Gayle just loves her for what she's done for her, though.

Hey, it's kinda fun, speculating about Oprah's personal life on a Tuesday night!

lol :happy:


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## Smushygirl (Dec 9, 2008)

Fascinita said:


> Les, this is a smart reading of her celebrity. She IS an entertainer. But on the other hand, she has built her entertainment empire on narcissistic self-absorption psychobabble. It crosses the line into shamanism, and she seems blissfully un-self-aware of the negative impact her "oeuvre" has had on our culture. She certainly has had a positive impact as well. What she does with her money is none of my business, except I think she's got way too much of it and way too much power. She's a little drunk on it, don't you find?
> 
> I giver her proper respect for standing as a role model of what's possible for women of color, though--I'll do it again and again. But she's also become kind of monstrous. At some point, it's time to take a step back and re-assess.



Exactly what I wanted to say, only much nicer!

I can't rep or find the haggis for you, but I will say I :wubu: you too. Rosie, my kitty is just fine. She is currently being a kitty stole and watching me type this to you. Hope your kitty is well too. :kiss2:

P.S. I :wubu: Miss Mossy too!


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## SparklingBBW (Dec 9, 2008)

I know a lot of people dont like Oprah for whatever reasons. Im not going to change your mind about that. But think about things on the opposite side of the extreme. 

So Oprah is fat again and struggling with out-of-control eating. Princess Diana was often too thin and also had bulimia and anorexia. Power, money and fame did not keep Princess Dianas husband from cheating, didnt solve her self-esteem issues, didnt cure her eating disorder or help her accept herself just as she was. 

And as far as being considered a deity (like some refer to Oprah), was/is that something that they really wanted or something that was thrust upon them? Diana wasnt called The Peoples Princess because she acted like Marie Antoinette. I think if either of these women actually did think that highly of themselves, they wouldnt be so popular or so admired. 

Being human is a hard thing to do in public, I would imagine. I know there are things about me that people like but there are also things about me that arent so nice. Thats part of being human, and as such, it means that Im still deserving of some compassion when I make mistakes. Because we all make mistakes, even if nobody sees them happen or calls us out on them. So compassion is what I seek and compassion is what I try to give. 

You think Oprah is a hypocrite? Im not saying she isnt. But remember, even at Dimensions and the size-acceptance movement (they are NOT the same thing BTW), there are hypocrisies to be found there as well. 

Personally, I accept that Dims has some hypocrisies. Its Conrads show. Do I like every message I get here? Nope, but the good outweighs the bad for me. Do I like every message Oprah sends out? Nope, but the good outweighs the bad for me. 

I just wish there was a place where ALL fat women could be treated with compassion and understanding. Its not on Oprah, but its not at Dimensions either. 

.


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## Santaclear (Dec 9, 2008)

I only watch her show so I can support all the sponsors.


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## Fascinita (Dec 9, 2008)

mossystate said:


> Being human is a hard thing to do in public, I would imagine. I know there are things about me that people like but there are also things about me that aren’t so nice. That’s part of being human, and as such, it means that I’m still deserving of some compassion when I make mistakes. Because we all make mistakes, even if nobody sees them happen or calls us out on them. So compassion is what I seek and compassion is what I try to give.



Gena, your points are well taken.

My only problem is that I feel more compassion for "us" than I do for her at this point. There's more of us, and one of her. But she's become larger than herself--and mostly because she sought that role, not because it was thrust on her.

She's human? So am I. So are scads of little girls who have to grow up hating themselves because the juggernaut of television can't be stopped. Who's accountable? All of us, to be sure. Oprah's just one more of us. She's accountable, too. If I'm accountable, I know FOR SURE that Oprah is.

Compassion can be take the form of tough love, too, right?


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## SparklingBBW (Dec 9, 2008)

Fascinita said:


> Gena, your points are well taken.
> 
> My only problem is that I feel more compassion for "us" than I do for her at this point. There's more of us, and one of her. But she's become larger than herself--and mostly because she sought that role, not because it was thrust on her.
> 
> ...



I understand your point too Fasc. With her show and power, she could change the societal tide toward compassion and understanding for all fat women and little girls...heck for all fat people. I wish with all my heart that she hurries up and gets to that self-acceptance point where she will love herself for all that she is right now, even if she doesn't lose a single pound. 

But I also know that that is something I also hope for myself. I'm not there yet. I'm 41 years old and I've been around Dimensions since getting the magazine at about age 24. I'm still not there yet. Do I FULLY accept myself as I am yet? No. I don't. I still have niggling fears and still worry about how I will be accepted and viewed by others at my weight (a SSBBW). I still struggle with loving myself as is and demanding that others do the same. It's something I fight myself on daily, the argument will THIS be the day I start that diet and yet somehow I just can't bring myself to start that diet and then I don't like myself very much for the indecision and the very real facts that being my size is uncomfortable and unhealthy and bring me pain (even if I can't discuss that here at Dims). 

My point is, we all come to self-acceptance and fat-acceptance at different times. As much as it would help to have Oprah on that team, she won't be much good to us until she does truly believe it. Being hard on her, holding her feet to the fire, tough love, being uncompassionate, it never worked when my parent's and family used these tactics to help me lose weight, so I suspect it isn't going to help Oprah become more self-accepting by using those tactics either. 

.


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## mossystate (Dec 10, 2008)

Fascinita said:


> > I doubt it. Pretty far gone, as well.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Fascinita (Dec 10, 2008)

Genarose54 said:


> I understand your point too Fasc. With her show and power, she could change the societal tide toward compassion and understanding for all fat women and little girls...heck for all fat people. I wish with all my heart that she hurries up and gets to that self-acceptance point where she will love herself for all that she is right now, even if she doesn't lose a single pound.
> 
> But I also know that that is something I also hope for myself. I'm not there yet. I'm 41 years old and I've been around Dimensions since getting the magazine at about age 24. I'm still not there yet. Do I FULLY accept myself as I am yet? No. I don't. I still have niggling fears and still worry about how I will be accepted and viewed by others at my weight (a SSBBW). I still struggle with loving myself as is and demanding that others do the same. It's something I fight myself on daily, the argument will THIS be the day I start that diet and yet somehow I just can't bring myself to start that diet and then I don't like myself very much for the indecision and the very real facts that being my size is uncomfortable and unhealthy and bring me pain (even if I can't discuss that here at Dims).
> 
> ...



Yes, I hope she fixes herself. That's out of my hands. I hope it works out for her. 

But I don't know her as other than a TV personality. As a TV personality, she needs to tone it down a notch, is all.


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## moore2me (Dec 10, 2008)

*Quote From Oprah in "O" Magazine*
But now, 20 years since the Calvin Klein jeans episode, Winfrey finds herself tipping the scales again, telling AP Television last week that she has yet to chose a gown for President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural ball next month.

"I had a dress on the vision board, but I'm not sure that's gonna fit," Winfrey said. "So I have to work on something else."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*
Moore's comment:
This is soooo sad. If one of the richest and most powerful women in the world cannot find someone to make a dress for her that looks pretty in a super size what hope do any of the rest of us have to look like anything more than guttersnipes in our off the rack clothes? 

Oprah - from me to you - I know and you know that designing a nice looking dress for you is do-able. Just ask Delta Burke for starters. And I'm sure there are hundreds of new, undiscovered designers whose heart's desire would be to make a gown for you. In fact, this could be one of your new projects. Coming up with some decent clothes, designers and seeding manufacturing facilities for fat women (and men), girls and boys. And don't forget to include the bras and lingere too.*

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Oprah's quote continues . . .)
In the latest "O" magazine article, Winfrey writes that she hit rock bottom when she wanted to skip out on an April 26 taping with Cher and Tina Turner in Las Vegas

"I felt like a fat cow," Winfrey writes. "I wanted to disappear."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Earth to Oprah - Even normal women look fat next to Cher. And how many women who are sixty years old look like Tina Turner? I doubt if there are even many forty year olds who can dance like Tina Turner or have legs like Tina Turner. Girlfriend, you really need to find yourself some realistic measuring sticks to compare yourself against. Why don't you go to Wal-Mart, Cosco, or Food Lion and look at the women?*

*And how much time each morning do you think Donald Trump frets that his butt is too fat? How about Shack? How about George Clooney? How about Jimmy Buffet? Isn't there something more productive you could be doing with you free time? You my dear are a powerful woman, now show us how to be a leader. Don't sit in the corner and wimper.*


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## Les Toil (Dec 10, 2008)

Fascinita said:


> Les, this is a smart reading of her celebrity. She IS an entertainer. But on the other hand, she has built her entertainment empire on narcissistic self-absorption psychobabble. It crosses the line into shamanism, and she seems blissfully un-self-aware of the negative impact her "oeuvre" has had on our culture. She certainly has had a positive impact as well. What she does with her money is none of my business, except I think she's got way too much of it and way too much power. She's a little drunk on it, don't you find?
> 
> I giver her proper respect for standing as a role model of what's possible for women of color, though--I'll do it again and again. But she's also become kind of monstrous. At some point, it's time to take a step back and re-assess.



Hiya Fascinita. My opinion of her and her character only comes from the limited exposure I have of her. If she's become that much of a monster as you say she's become (and as many here seem to agree), I can't argue with that as I haven't been following her exploits. How sad of her.


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## LalaCity (Dec 10, 2008)

Les Toil said:


> Hiya Fascinita. My opinion of her and her character only comes from the limited exposure I have of her. If she's become that much of a monster as you say she's become (and as many here seem to agree), I can't argue with that as I haven't been following her exploits. How sad of her.



Well, self-absorbed probably (like a lot of us)...but a monster? Nah. She's a good person, from what I can tell, if flawed (again, like a _lot_ of us :blush.


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## mossystate (Dec 10, 2008)

LalaCity said:


> Well, self-absorbed probably (like a lot of us)...but a monster? Nah. She's a good person, from what I can tell, if flawed (again, like a _lot_ of us :blush.



*L* I don't think anybody is saying they are not flawed, or that Oprah can't be flawed. I mean, online message boards would die if not for people with opinions.  Oprah has a power that none of us have. I think it is reasonable to not be too happy with the influence she has over...millions. I wish celerities did not have that power...boy, do I wish.


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## LalaCity (Dec 10, 2008)

mossystate said:


> *L* I don't think anybody is saying they are not flawed, or that Oprah can't be flawed. I mean, online message boards would die if not for people with opinions.  Oprah has a power that none of us have. I think it is reasonable to not be too happy with the influence she has over...millions. I wish celerities did not have that power...boy, do I wish.



I agree -- Oprah has a huge burden of responsibility to go along with her fame and privilege. But I maintain that she's a good person who takes her position as a role model seriously. I think that if it really occurred to her that her public weight loss struggles were having a negative effect on women, she'd rethink the way she speaks on this issue in future. 

I contend that the size acceptance movement is really not known to a majority of people yet. It isn't understood by most in our society -- overweight, or otherwise -- that anyone who is fat might not be together with Oprah in the same miserable boat of low self-esteem and sad need to confess failure and disappointment in themselves. I mean -- how could anyone actually be _happy_ being fat, right? Still, strange as that sounds to us in the Dims community, I can remember a time, before my eyes were opened, when I thought that way, too.

I seriously don't think Oprah gets it yet -- obviously, it would be better for all of us if she did. But I don't believe she thinks she's doing anything wrong by making these remarks. I'm willing to extend her the benefit of the doubt and hope that there's a constructive way to get her to be a bit more aware.


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## mossystate (Dec 10, 2008)

LalaCity said:


> I agree -- Oprah has a huge burden of responsibility to go along with her fame and privilege. But I maintain that she's a good person who takes her position as a role model seriously. I think that if it really occurred to her that her public weight loss struggles were having a negative effect on women, she'd rethink the way she speaks on this issue in future.
> 
> But I contend that the size acceptance movement is really not known to a majority of people yet.




I was not even thinking of ' size acceptance ', when I wrote what I did in this thread. Hell, I was not really focusing on the issue of fat. If Oprah were thin, she would find something else to obsess over and hate about herself. She doesn't need to know anything about size acceptance, if she is as tuned into people as she says. Bigotry is bigotry. She is far from stupid. A young fat woman who is on one hand lifted up by Oprah's successes, will be slapped down with the other hand, as Oprah ' jokes ' about " whoa, none of you women out there wearing over a size 8 better be wearing this ". If nothing else, get a fucking clue, Oprah. That shit is common sense. Ok, I just had a STFU Oprah moment.....none of the energy is directed at you, Lala!!


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## LalaCity (Dec 10, 2008)

mossystate said:


> I was not even thinking of ' size acceptance ', when I wrote what I did in this thread. Hell, I was not really focusing on the issue of fat. If Oprah were thin, she would find something else to obsess over and hate about herself. She doesn't need to know anything about size acceptance, if she is as tuned into people as she says. Bigotry is bigotry. She is far from stupid. A young fat woman who is on one hand lifted up by Oprah's successes, will be slapped down with the other hand, as Oprah ' jokes ' about " whoa, none of you women out there wearing over a size 8 better be wearing this ". If nothing else, get a fucking clue, Oprah. That shit is common sense. Ok, I just had a STFU Oprah moment.....none of the energy is directed at you, Lala!!



Oh, trust me -- I understand Oprah fatigue as well as anyone. I don't watch her show and consider many of the things she pushes to be cringe-inducing (the Dr. Phil phenomenon, for example). I guess her remarks just remind me a lot of my own thoughts about myself.

And yeah -- she should have gotten more of a clue by now that she's actually promoting bigotry toward fat people through her own constant, very vocal dissatisfaction with her shape.. But I think her cluelessness serves as a reminder of how truly demonized fatness is in our society. For Oprah, as with so many people, it's impossible to conceive of anything positive being attached to the condition of adiposity (adiposeness? Aw hell, you know what I'm trying to say). I think her overwhelming sense in all of this is that she thinks she's let her fans down by failing to live up to all her promises to kick her yo-yoing weight issues permanently to the curb. And for that I feel sorry for her.


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## exile in thighville (Dec 10, 2008)

this thread is so fucking hot


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## Fascinita (Dec 10, 2008)

exile in thighville said:


> this thread is so fucking hot



oooooh.... dirty dirty. all small caps. feels so right when you leave out the caps.

really, it does! i am serious.

really really serious.


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## Fascinita (Dec 10, 2008)

Les Toil said:


> Hiya Fascinita. My opinion of her and her character only comes from the limited exposure I have of her. If she's become that much of a monster as you say she's become (and as many here seem to agree), I can't argue with that as I haven't been following her exploits. How sad of her.



Actually, I was just having a good time spouting off, Les.

I also have limited exposure to her.


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## TraciJo67 (Dec 10, 2008)

Mini said:


> See, that's the pathetic thing in my mind. She can get *anything*, any kind of help she needs. She has access to the kind of resources that most of us can only dream about, and she's still fucked up. At what point do we tell her to get over herself and just stop the bitching? No one would even notice if she didn't keep talking about it.



So, Mini, if she were poor as a church mouse ... then and only then would her struggles be deemed worthy of empathy? Is that really what you're saying?


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## EtobicokeFA (Dec 10, 2008)

I heard this story as well. It is sad, that she feel depressed about her weight. On the upside she that she is going to focus on health rather than weight, so she might be still into SA after all. But, we have to wait and see. 

By the way, I agree with LalaCity, that since the early 90's we haven't had much press coverage, so not too many people know about us. 

Forgive me for asking a stupid question, but has NAAFA, or someone though of approaching Oprah to offer support? You know like a supportive and comforting letter? Or maybe a letter writing campaign where we all write her a letter.


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## thatgirl08 (Dec 10, 2008)

I read this article earlier and I was like, what the fuck? I mean honestly.. 200 pounds is not huge. She looks great! She's successful, attractive, etc. She has no reason to be down on herself at all.


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## GenericGeek (Dec 11, 2008)

thatgirl08 said:


> I read this article earlier and I was like, what the fuck? I mean honestly.. 200 pounds is not huge. She looks great! She's successful, attractive, etc. She has no reason to be down on herself at all.



No *shit*! There are a lot of people out there who would be *ecstatic *to get their BMI below 32! And I think that, if you find yourself having to choose between having an "ideal" body size on the one hand, and a "livable" one on the other, the best choice is probably the latter.

But I do think that Oprah, like a lot of celebs, is addicted to public attention. So she will go to great lengths to keeping that spotlight on herself, consciously or not...


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## wistful (Dec 11, 2008)

While I can easily imagine how painful it must be to be fat and/or gaining weight in the public eye and be torn apart for it,my sympathy for Oprah on this subject is rather limited.I have a hard time feeling sorry for her when she has been rather unkind about fat and how fat Americans are on any number of occasions over the years.Sure,I've also seen her be sympathetic towards larger people but usually when they are in "weight loss" mode and are on her show being all apologetic about their size.For the record, I have no issue with her wanting to lose weight,I think it's entirely possible to lose weight and continue to support fat people.However, I do take issue with her nasty digs towards fatness over the years.Due to self hatred,some of the biggest fat phobes around are fat themselves.


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## radman (Dec 11, 2008)

I to think that its a sad thing that nobody has acknowledged her health problems. It is a shame that she cant be happy with her self, but some people are just that way. especially in her case being in the publics eye all the time


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## radman (Dec 11, 2008)

And to constantly be torn apart by the media dosent help with her situation.


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## Fascinita (Dec 11, 2008)

mossystate said:


> I knew I should have added the winky smiley, after the " Hmmmmmmmm "...*L*



O'm totally missing the dry wit bone, Mossy.  In fact, most really subtle jokes go over my head. :doh:

It was a good joke :bow: RE: _la_ Angelou, and I know why the caged bird has a Cheshire-cat smile on its face--raking in the big bucks, daddy, that lady is! (I'm envious, I am!)

I'm totally missing the "I" and "O" labels on my keyboard, too, evidently.


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## GordoNegro (Dec 15, 2008)

Ms. Winfrey like Ms. Ciccone (Madonna) are able to reinvent themselves every few years or so when their popularity starts to wane, along with short American attention spans, they are able to profit each time.
Since being public about support the President-Elect, her magazine dipped in sales and her show in ratings.
What else would provide a greater spike than to have a size 10 episode where she can show what a 100lbs of fat looks like in a clear-thru plastic bag once more.
I know Ms. Winfrey suffers from abuse and self-esteem issues due to her painful past, though I cannot think that, there is no financial incentive for her to lose weight once more this time around.


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## superodalisque (Dec 18, 2008)

instead of saying she fell off the wagon it would be cute if she said she had tumbled out of the private jet. actually i think she looks great with a lil weight but it it makes her unhappy she should do whatever.


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## elle camino (Dec 18, 2008)

i just saw the most recent cover of her magazine, with her posing next to an old picture of herself when she weighed less - so hilarious.
the only difference i could really see between the two, was in one she was smiling and wearing a ridiculous cut-off belly shirt sweatsuit thing, and in the other she was scowling and her shirt was 100% present and accounted for.


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## superodalisque (Dec 18, 2008)

radman said:


> And to constantly be torn apart by the media dosent help with her situation.



no it doesn't. but what is even worse is that with all of her success etc.. she still doesn't have the self confidence that would allow her to appreciate herself as she is. i wonder if it makes her viewers think twice about all of her "live your best life talk". i wonder if they have begun to wonder whose best life she's talking about? personally i'd rather have my own best life not worrying so much about whether other people thought i was a failure or not.


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## moniquessbbw (Dec 18, 2008)

Being fat and healthy is not the case for most over weight people. As we age that weight takes a toll on our entire body. I wish the men who are into ssbbws could just walk one day in their shoes. One day with 500 plus pounds on your knees, hips, back etc. Then tell me how you feel. Thats my 2 cents.


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## Les Toil (Dec 19, 2008)

elle camino said:


> i just saw the most recent cover of her magazine, with her posing next to an old picture of herself when she weighed less - so hilarious.



I saw that cover and, man, this woman has no shame. Apologies to you all for defending this woman and her attitude towards her self-esteem because this is truly despicable. Why doesn't she just rent a huge billboard in Time Square and say "Hey fatties! Shame shame shame on ALL of us!". 

What also sucks is that she consciously frumped herself up to make the fat Oprah look as attractive as a package of purple hot dogs (and no folks. I'm obviously not insulting her body as much as I'm insulting that strange misshapen thing they made her wear). 

I was at the supermarket a few nights ago and I saw this recent tabloid rag that had a new pic of Oprah in a fancy evening gown on the cover. WOOOOOWWWW, she looked amazing!!! I swear to god she looked phenomenal! Needless to say the cover blurb shouted something about her being ashamed about gaining so much weight back. Of course anyone would assume my opinion stems from my being an FA, but I have to tell you, she simply never looked healthier. 

I don't think Oprah realizes that if she ever got down to Diana Ross's size, she'd be dead from heart failure. She need to _listen to what her body is telling her!
_
View attachment Picture 1.jpg


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## MoonGoddess (Dec 20, 2008)

elle camino said:


> i just saw the most recent cover of her magazine, with her posing next to an old picture of herself when she weighed less - so hilarious.
> the only difference i could really see between the two, was in one she was smiling and wearing a ridiculous cut-off belly shirt sweatsuit thing, and in the other she was scowling and her shirt was 100% present and accounted for.


_
And the one thing that really stood out in my eyes was that scowl at her current weight. When you dislike yourself it shows, and the media will swarm all over that. If she had not said anything, kept on going and smiling, it wouldn't be such a big story. She is shooting herself in the foot. I wonder if it ever occurred to her that 200 may be simply her natural weight. Sure, anyone can lose weight, but if she is genetically predisposed to being heavier, all that yo-yo'ing is going to do is a lot of harm.

She is beautiful, smart and accomplished. So what if she isn't built like Beyonce? As long as she takes care of her health, screw the media. And if she can't get over this in a mature way, then I cannot feel sorry for her._


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## T_Devil (Dec 20, 2008)

Big shock, she's ashamed of being fat.
Gee,
didn't
see
that
one
coming.

I'm so sick of her and her played out little drama. I want her to go away. Not for a long time.... forever. Seriously, she's overrated and I think she sucks.
_
But she does so much good...._

Hasn't benefited me in the least, so why should I care? she's a rich lady that believes in throwing her money around for tax write-offs. That doesn't impress me. You know what would? If she said "Fuck it, I'm fat and I don't give a shit what NONE of ya bastards thinks." And eats a big ol' frost covered Dunkin' Donut right in front of David Lettermen

As you can see, it takes very little to impress me. 

Oprah does not impress me.


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## moore2me (Dec 21, 2008)

I imagine 80% or more of the women in American and probably 50% of the men would show this much of a difference in pictures of themselves taken ten years apart. I know I would. *How about you?* Why should Oprah be so disgusted when most of the people in America have aged the same way in a decade of life?

Man, she is really going to be peeved at herself when she is sixty years old!! 

View attachment Picture%201.jpg


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## Les Toil (Dec 21, 2008)

I think it's a scam. Look at that "after" pic of her. She's wearing this weird lumpy body suit and her face and neck look fairly thin. There's no way there's a 200 lb woman inside that padded Smurf outfit. I predict she'll get behind some big weight loss company, lose a few pounds AND that purple Tellytubby uniform, and it'll look as if she's experienced a physical metamorphosis. 

Whatever she does, she'll exploit it to the hilt.


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## Shosh (Dec 21, 2008)

I fall off the wagon, then I get back on, then I fall off.

Oprah has been through some pretty traumatic experiences in her life, especially losing a baby post natally at age 13. That has to have been so hard.
She may have been on a path with these kind of struggles from an early age, so I would rather err on the side of compassion.


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## AVAcado (Dec 21, 2008)

Oprah, Oprah, Dear Oprah.

STOP!!!!

You're almost 55 years old. Is how much flesh you have sagging off your bones what you want the next 20 or 30 years of your life to be about? Okay, I get it. You're at a higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and yahddie, yahddie, yah. Sure, okay. That may be true, especially if such conditions run in your family. But the truth is, ironically, being fat, especially the kind of fat _you_ are, is probably not gonna be what someday leads to your demise. It might be, but it really might not be either. You're probably more likely to, well, die in a car accident than to develop a condition from being overweight that kills you. But what do I know? Either way, it's okay that you are not fully able to control everything about yourself, and everything around you. It's okay that you're human too.
Really, Oprah. Seriously, YOU ARE OKAY EXACTLY AS YOU ARE. I mean it.
There's no book titled "I'm Okay Being Fat and Oprah's Not." It's titled "I'm okay being a fat cow and so is Oprah." I weigh somewhere around 260 pounds, Oprah. I'm not sure of my exact weight as I don't own a scale. I only happen to weigh myself randomly every 3 to 4 months when I'm at a friend's house, whom I gave my scale away to years ago. Dang, I'm sure it's not calibrated correctly. Maybe I weigh more than 260ish! Oh my gosh, no!
What's sad is that you called yourself such a name as a fat cow, and that you really meant it. I, on the other hand, think you are beautiful. I think you're intelligent, witty, generous, courageous, dynamic, well-spoken, and heartfelt. I've thought these things about you during EVERY SINGLE WEIGHT YOU'VE EVER BEEN. On top of that, until today, I'VE NEVER EVEN KNOWN YOUR WEIGHT. Oprah, I'm not watching your weight. And my biggest piece of advice I could ever give you is that _you _ stop watching it too. You need to stop watching your weight, stop talking about your weight, and understandably difficult, you need to stop listening to or reading what the media says about your weight. Again, of course that would be extremely difficult. But it _is_ doable.
Back to calling yourself a fat cow at 200 pounds.
I already said I admire you.
But I'm 43, almost 44, and I'm pretty solid in myself and pretty sure of who I am. Not 100% sure, by any means, but pretty sure, and this despite having been called a fat cow from someone's car window. Bummer.
It would be unfortunate enough if I called myself a fat cow to myself in the privacy of my own home. Have I ever? Sure. I've also looked in the mirror, while at my weight, and said, "I look hot." Mmmm. 
Any way, back to you. Do you realize that you inadvertently called any one 10 pounds plus or minus 200 pounds a fat cow? Who knows what the folks over 200 pounds should be called. Okay, so you didn't come right out and say, "All you listeners out there at or over 200 pounds are FAT COWS!" But you might as well have. You, Oprah, are in the public eye. (And yes, I am sure this contributes heavily (no pun intended) to your struggles with weight.) And being as such, you really do have a responsibility to mind your P's and Q's.
If I was a 12 year old girl anywhere near 200 pounds and I heard, saw, read or dreamed what you said in public, I'd have my finger down my throat pronto to vomit up my cowdomness. And I'd go about it day and night to insure I wasn't a fat cow. After all, (again, I'm 12, or 14, or 20, or 35 and I admire you, or my mother does, or my friends do, or I see your magazine on a shelf next to the Junior Mints I was about to buy), you said 200 pounds = Fat Moo Cow. I don't want to be that bad thing Oprah says she is. Maybe I better obsess on my weight too. I don't have a TV, or get your magazine, Oprah, and I've still come by your story via the Internet. Do you know how many young people the World over to whom you've imparted your unhealthy message? And please, don't forget that for many people 200 pounds is a very healthy weight. Did you need to further influence people's perceptions of weight by sharing your own and labeling it "bad"? 

Stop obsessing, Oprah. Stop trying to figure out why you struggle with your weight. There are probably countless reasons. No matter, I guarantee you that when you stop obsessing about it, and you stop bringing it, yourself, to the media's attention, and you ignore all that the media says, and you conceptualize yourself in terms wellness instead of weight, you will live a richer, happier life. Do you walk a number of times a week? Yes. Do you swim, bike, and do other physical activities to stay healthy? I assume you do. No, Oprah, not to lose weight. Simply to stay healthy. Do you make love with Stedman, or whatever is name is. (Are you two still together?) Love-making, outright F-ing, is SO good for your health. Do it Oprah, and do it often. Walk, bike, swim, f-uck, and breathe in the fresh windy-city air of Chicago. Get naked and stand in front of a mirror and squeeze all 200 plus pounds of your loose flesh and say, "Dang I'm beautifully fat. I'm finefully fat. I'm fitfully fat." Then kick back, eat a bag of pop corn, watch some TV, (ignore the weight lose commercials), and enjoy your life. The next day, you can go for a walk again, to stay healthy, but, I repeat, not to try to lose weight. 

And seriously, Oprah, pretend you can only give 10 more gifts to the World for the remainder of your life-time. I mean 10 gifts, total--whether it be in creating new schools in poor neighborhoods and countries, having wonderful and talented people share their wisdom on your show, and so on.
Do you really want these gifts to be the status of your weight, or is there, perhaps, something far more important you have to do with the remainder of your life? Can you, perhaps, look at your life thus far and see all the good you've already done? Haven't you succeeded at giving to the world while being all different weights? Have your fans been less adoring when you've been heavier compared to when you've been thinner?

Seriously, Oprah; I know you have more important things to do with the remaining precious days of your life than to keep yo=yoing your body and warping your own mind around your own issues about your weight.
It's just you, Oprah. It's only you. No one else cares. And even if they do, _you_ shouldn't care. You are perfect exactly as you are. You are beautiful exactly as you are. You have served the world well, exactly as you are. You have given enough. (Especially if you can retract calling yourself a fat cow to all the young girls who are at or above your weight.)
You like giving. One of the best gifts you can give to others, and the biggest gift you can give to yourself, is to love yourself exactly as you are. Can you imagine a world in which public figures loved themselves as they are? Can you imagine the influence that alone would have on those of us regular folk? Can you imagine the loses in revenue from diet-oriented magazine sales? Okay, don't think about that, O.
Just do it, Oprah. Love yourself, in public and in private, just as you are. Think, Yes you can. Yes you can. Yes you can.


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