Oprah Winfrey Blasted For Weight Loss Comments

Oprah Winfrey | YouTube

Oprah Winfrey has lost a lot of weight. The former talk show host has been fighting a weight battle for years and has had several ups and downs. However, she was finally prescribed a weight loss drug and dropped lots of pounds. While she is excited about it, she recently spoke about her former struggles, and now many people are mad about her comments about “thin people.”

Here is what Oprah said and why it offended so many people.

Oprah Winfrey Offends “Thin People” With New Comments

Oprah Winfrey has lost weight thanks to being prescribed a weight-loss drug. She broke down her journey and explained why she always struggled to lose weight. However, when she said what she thought it was like to be a “thin person,” she offended people with her assumptions.

Oprah Winfrey speaking to Al Roker
YouTube/TODAY

Winfrey said that for years, she never understood how thin people could always remain so thin. “All these years I thought that thin people — those people — just had more willpower,” she said. “They ate better foods; They were able to stick to it longer; They never had a potato chip” (via The Oprah Podcast).

She then said that when she began taking the GLP-1 weight-loss medicine that she learned the truth. “I realized the very first time I took the GLP-1 that, oh, they’re not even thinking about it. They’re only eating when they’re hungry and they’re stopping when they’re full.”

However, this comment offended many thin people who think about food constantly. They said instead of taking weight-loss pills, they have to have stronger willpower.

Fans Bash Oprah Winfrey For Her Weight Loss Comments

This clip was shared on Instagramand people came out in large numbers to tell Oprah Winfrey how they felt.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Oprah Daily (@oprahdaily)

Here is a sample of their comments:

  • “Thin people also think about food all the time, but they work hard to manage their physical and mental needs in a healthy way, and not by taking medication.”
  • “There are many thin people, or others who are a healthy weight but not necessarily ‘thin’ who do in fact draw on willpower and strategic tactics to keep their weight down.”
  • “Just because you are on a new bandwagon doesn’t mean that you should speak in a way that suggests your perception of reality is definitive. It is not.”

Of course, Oprah was talking about how she sees people who always seem to remain skinny no matter what they eat. But her comments really rubbed many people the wrong way. It caused several commenters to bash her for taking weight-loss pills rather than to do it “the right way.”

This is a complicated issue. Al Roker, who has struggled with eating addictions, said that he would never bash someone who takes medication to help them beat the addiction and get healthier. He said, “If this is what works for them, I mean, who are we to say, ‘Oh, don’t do that.’ As long as it’s safe and effective, good for you. I think everybody’s journey is their journey,” Al said.

What are your thoughts on Oprah Winfrey’s statement? Let us know in the comments below.

Shawn Lealos
Follow me

One Comment

  1. Well, those skinny people are wrong and have never lived in Oprah’s (and my) shoes. They have no idea what it’s like.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *