Oprah Winfrey Opens Up About Her Decades-Long Weight Shaming — Says Mocking Her Weight Was A ‘National Sport’
Oprah Winfrey has recently opened up about the weight shaming she has endured for decades, describing it as a ‘national sport’. In her new TV special titled “An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame, and the Weight Loss Revolution”, Winfrey bravely addresses the public shaming and humiliation she has faced throughout her weight loss journey.
During the ABC special, which kicked off on Monday night, Winfrey shared her personal experiences of being the subject of tabloid gossip and comedic ridicule for many years. She spoke candidly in front of a live studio audience, reflecting on the highs and lows of her weight loss journey. “I have to say that I took on the shame that the world gave to me,” Winfrey shared with the crowd. “For 25 years, making fun of my weight was national sport.”
Winfrey recounted a particularly painful moment from 1990 when she saw herself on the cover of TV Guide as part of the magazine’s “Best and Worst Dressed” list. The headline described her as ‘Bumpy, lumpy, and downright dumpy’, a comment made by Mr. Blackwell, a prominent tastemaker at the time. This incident marked the beginning of years of being mocked on late-night talk shows and tabloid covers. “I remember thinking, at first, ‘Oh, look! There I am on the cover.’ And then, I read the headline,” Winfrey recalled.
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With hurtful comments like that along with plenty of others, Winfrey admitted it took an emotional toll on her and the constant public scrutiny also hit her self-esteem. “In an effort to combat all the shame, I starved myself for nearly five months, and then, wheeled out that wagon of fat that the internet will never let me forget,” Winfrey said while looking back at her infamous episode of her talk show. “And after losing 67 pounds on a liquid diet, the next day, y’all, the very next day, I started to gain it back.”
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Oprah Winfrey who recently resigned from the WeightWatchers board after almost 10 years to avoid a conflict of interest, also spoke out on her big decision.
During her appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” earlier this month, Winfrey explained why she stepped down before her special aired.
“I decided [to leave the WeightWatchers board] because this special was really important to me, and I wanted to be able to talk about whatever I want to talk about,” Winfrey explained. “And WeightWatchers is now in the business of being a weight-health company that also administers drug medications for weight. I did not want to have the appearance of any conflict of interest.
The media mogul who previously admitted to being on a weight loss medication continued saying that when she resigned she donated all of her shares to the National Museum of African American History.