It's a good time to be an Oprah fan, particularly if you are a chronic dieter or someone who frets about your weight. Over the years, we've been along for the ride on Oprah's roller coaster of food and weight issues. We were there when Oprah showed us her "skinny jeans" and shadired her new cure-all dieting regimes. It was addicting, in part, because it was so easy for many women to identify with her weight worries. Oprah, you've come a long way. New network. New home. New attitude about your relationship with food.
In the Barbara Walter's interview with Oprah, we saw an Oprah who appeared to have evolved and worked through some of her eating issues. She recognized that my "self is more than my thighs" and that she did a "disservice" to herself focusing so much on her outer appearance. Also, she spoke about the way she used food to soothe herself and that it is now about finding balance and eating mindfully. It was the way she said it that was striking. It was as if she had known this intellectually all along. But, it sounded like she finally "got" it.
Basically, she seems to be a woman who has moved one step closer toward self-acceptance. No matter who you are, this is one of the main tasks we face as human beings -- being okay with who you are. Self-acceptance doesn't mean you give up. Instead, you continue to be grow into being the best version of yourself rather than trying to be someone different.
Similar to the way we absorbed some of Oprah's dieting obsession, my hope is that we now drink in her self-acceptance. Perhaps we will see a generation of women who see themselves in a new, positive way. It's difficult to find balance, stop wrestling with your hunger and quit fighting with your body. There is no substitute for a role model that shows you it is possible to accept yourself, just as you are, in this moment, no matter how many diets you tried in the past. Let's all continue to work on finding health, balance and self-acceptance with Oprah.
Best wishes Oprah on your new network!
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Judith J. Wurtman, PhD: Overeating: Avoid Stress Eating This Holiday Season
My idea is that the lack of at least one year of breast feeding for infants is causing both overweight and underweight problems across the world.
I suggest that weaning sets up a food in and waste out pattern - probably in the ENS, Enteric Nervous System, that subconsciously programs us for our lives. If there is not enough breast milk before that weaning period - the infant will be 'hungry' from then on. He will move toward food and become overweight.
If the weaning is too soon such that the child's digestion system can't handle the new non-breast milk, solids, then the child will always be 'too full' (of food he can't yet digest) from then on. He will move away from food and become underweight.
The rates now for children being breast fed for 1 year are almost at 0%
http://www.kellymom.com/writings/ross-data.html
Time to promote one year of breast feeding for all mothers in all countries.
This should be easy to test. Those with weight problems - either underweight or overweight - should be infants that were NOT breast fed for one year.
Those without weight problems should be infants that were breast fed for at least one year.
"Before 1900, most mothers breastfed their infants. Breastfeeding rates declined sharply worldwide after 1920." - faqs.org