It has been almost 13 years since the program “The Oprah Winfrey Show” has come to an end, but for viewers of her weight loss special on Monday night (18) it seemed like the presenter's talk show was back.
In “An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution” Winfrey does what she has proven for 25 seasons that she can do better than anyone else: bring people together and get them talking – and listening – to each other.
“I wanted to do this in a special way for the more than 100 million people in the United States and the more than 1 billion people around the world who live with obesity,” Winfrey said when introducing the show. “Maybe it’s you or maybe it’s someone you love.”
“In my life, I never dreamed that we would be talking about medicines that would give hope to people, like me, who have struggled for years with being overweight or obese,” Winfrey continued.
“I come to this conversation with the hope that we can begin to free ourselves from stigma, shame and judgment – stop shaming other people for being overweight or for the way they choose to lose or not lose weight – and most importantly , stop embarrassing us.”
The program featured several guests who shared their personal experiences with obesity and weight control.
Winfrey also shared the pain she felt at times on her weight loss journey.
“I took on the shame that the world gave me. For 25 years, making fun of my weight was the national sport,” she said.
Winfrey described the relief she felt when she finally understood obesity as a disease.
“When I count how many times I blamed myself,” Winfrey said, choking up in conversation with a young woman in the audience.
“You think I’m smart enough to figure this out and then hear that this whole time it’s you fighting your brain.”
W. Scott Butsch Director of Obesity Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Bariatric and Metabolic Institute and Dr. Amanda Velazquez an obesity expert at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, were among the medical experts who participated in the special.
“There is a spectrum of obesity. It’s not one disease, it’s many different subtypes of diseases,” Butsch said. “It’s not a question of willpower.”
Medical experts addressed the potential side effects of weight loss medications and the factors and risks that should be considered before taking them as part of a multifaceted care plan.
Winfrey talked about using weight loss medication as a “tool” to manage her weight, combined with walking, running, weight resistance training and healthy eating.
“It’s not just one thing, it’s multiple things,” Winfrey said.
At the conclusion of the program, Winfrey recognized people who can feel “happy and healthy” living in a larger body, those who feel that diet and exercise are “the best and only way” to lose excess weight, and those interested in learn more about how medications can help with weight loss.
“There is room for all points of view,” Winfrey said at the end of the program. “Let’s stop the shame and blame. There is no place for that.”
Source: CNN Brasil
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