The Power Within… Just Change Your Mind

Lesson from Oprah?

Ive got mixed thoughts about writing an article on the infamous Oprah. Is it worth my down-to-earth opinion on the difference her reaching 200 lbs makes to us in our not-so-famous lives we live every day? My first reaction was Can you believe it! The woman is human! Thank god! Then I was thinking how interesting it is, that a woman who has everything available to her (a personal trainer, a cook, a full time assistant, a house attendant, a dog walker, make-up, clothing, etc) can also fail in the weight struggles the rest of the world suffers from as well. Finally, I found myself frustrated with one of the statements that I heard her say (or read) when she declared, that in 2009 she is going to get healthy and work on her weight loss again.

My immediate thought after becoming aware of that statement was that she was implying that being 200 pounds and being healthy were unrelated issues. Im going out on a limb and Im going to guess that I bet Oprah is still healthy (by most medical health standards) even with the additional weight. As all you of know, my faithful readers, I dont believe that carrying extra weight necessarily means that you are unhealthy and it bothers me when people put those two things immediately together. Yes, Oprah has gained weight into the obese classification by medical standards, but Id put money on the fact that I bet that her trainer (who is available to her 24/7) still had her working out as regular as possible and her personal cook continued to cook her healthy meals (when she was at home). I bet that she remained much healthier than what most of us would remain, under similar circumstances.

Its good to know that celebrities like her also suffer from some of the same medical conditions that many of us suffer from. I completely respect Oprah acknowledging that she has, in the midst of all of this, developed thyroid issues and does not blame the condition. This kind of celebrity information only encourages me to remind you that regular healthy physicals with your physician continue to be very important! The older you get, the more regular your physicals need to be. This is how you can stay on top of your own personal health concerns.

Ive teased for years that if I had my choice and money wasnt a concern, Id have a personal chef to cook fresh, healthy and wonderful meals and an attendant for my house. I continue to be amazed that a woman, who has everything possible, when it comes to assistants, could allow herself to fall off the wagon, so to speak. How could this happen? I was discussing this with my girlfriends, asking them wouldnt she notice when she no longer fits into a size 12 and now has to put on a size 16? Wouldnt she notice when she looks in the mirror? Wouldnt she notice and then put a stop to it earlier than 40 pounds, like maybe at the 10 pound mark? I know that her public statement about her weight hitting 200 wasnt one of her A-ha moments! She had to know that the weight was creeping on. She had to know that her clothes were getting bigger. Didnt she?

The consensus was that maybe she didnt know. When you have a personal assistant and a wardrobe gal that dresses you and does all the shopping, just maybe she didnt know the sizes were getting bigger. Whatever! I dont believe it, but thats what my girls were telling me. So with that being said, maybe we are all happy with our own wagons?

All I know is that Oprah is an amazing woman across the board, when it comes to educating the American people on health and fitness issues. Through her we have learned so much about all aspects of health and fitness, not just about her weight issues. Im thrilled to know she is human and struggles like the rest of us, and I am saddened that she is human and struggles like the rest of us! Its all about moderation and being in control of your own health.

Deborah Holmes

January 6, 2009