Oprah Gives Up on Being Thin

According to Headline News' Showbiz Tonight, Oprah Winfrey is giving up on being thin. Showbiz Tonight reports Oprah has announced in O Magazine that she weighs 200 pounds and that she's fallen off the diet wagon.

Oprah Winfrey has battled her weight all her life in the public eye. She has endured media tabloid photographs picturing her at her thinnest and her heaviest. The world rejoiced with Oprah as she lost weight, and we empathized when she gained it back. The public's fascination is evidenced by the over four million results of the Google search term "Oprah weight".

"You have to accept where you are. You have to accept where you are right now in order to move forward," Oprah said on Good Morning America Thursday.

According to ABC news, Oprah said that instead of dieting again, she will instead focus on being healthy, strong and fit. Personally, I think this is an exceptional goal for Oprah and other women who just can't keep the pounds off.

Yo-yo dieting can have devastating effects on the human body. The body just wasn't made to gain and lose weight so quickly and repeatedly. According to my doctor, when you drastically cut calories from your diet, your body thinks you are starving. When the body think you are starving, your body turns everything you eat into fat. The body will even feed off your muscle mass. What you are left with is a weak, out-of-shape body with no muscle tone.

Yo-yo dieting can also have an effect on the body's immune system. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the constant weigh fluctuation may negatively impact the immune system.

Instead of focusing on weight loss, Oprah is focusing on her health. By maintaining a consistent exercise program and eating healthier foods, Oprah will be able to achieve her goal of being fit. She may lose weight in the process, but overall, this healthier lifestyle will be much better for her body than yo-yo dieting.

"Oprah is woman enough to admit her weight problem," a female caller to Showbiz Tonight said tonight after Oprah's announcement. A male caller also expressed his support of Oprah, regardless of her weight, stating Oprah is still a sexy woman.

Is Oprah being a positive role-model in her 200-pound announcement? Absolutely. Last year, I made the same decision Oprah has. After battling my own weight issues all my life, I have decided this is the body I was given and it was frustrating to try, and fail, to change it. Instead of fighting it, I have decided to make the best of the body I was given. Being fit and healthy is such a confidence-booster that even though I weigh about the same as I did last year before I made the decision, I'm much happier with my body and my body image.

I'm with Oprah. Give up dieting. Knock off the yo-yo weight fluctuations. This is who I am. This is the body I was given and I need to keep it healthy, not thin at any cost. Take it or leave it, it doesn't change the person inside.

Sources:

Showbiz Tonight on Headline News

"Oprah Essay on 'Disappointing' Weight Gain to Appear in O Magazine", ABCnews.com

"Yo-Yo Dieting May Weaken Immune System", About.com