As a young woman, Oprah scored a great media job as a local news show co-anchor, but to witness the tragedies of people’s lives every day was emotionally demanding, and in terms of job satisfaction the experience wasn’t the greatest, either. Consequently, she learned how easy it is to bury problems under a ton of food.
By 1986, with her own national TV show, she had the opportunity to meet quite a number of relatives, many who whom had fallen on hard times. There was a basic desire to help family members, as well as a need to ask many hard questions in the process, and the conflict between those conditions was an emotional stumbling block. Then, there was guilt for feeling bad, which must be a sign of ingratitude. Shouldn’t her fabulous luck and newly won fame be enough to vanquish all anxiety?
In 1988 came the “biggest, fattest mistake” of Oprah’s public life so far. It was all part of creating 200 TV episodes per year, throughout several years of 16-hour workdays, and diet efforts that didn’t stick. And then at her heaviest, over 230 pounds, she met personal trainer and exercise physiologist Bob Greene, the person who taught her that while eating was a band-aid that could cover up any wound, it did not have to be the guiding force in her life.
“The answer to my prayers”
Greene didn’t judge; he didn’t label. Pointing out that the fabulously successful Oprah, of all the people in the world, was uniquely positioned to have the life she wanted, he asked the right questions:
Why don’t you do it? What do you really want? What is the best life possible for you?
She got down to seriously working out, and paying attention to her food intake, but focused most keenly on those life questions that concerned both her outer manifestation in the world and her inner relationship with herself:
You cannot ever live the life of your dreams without coming face-to-face with the truth. Every unwanted pound creates another layer of lies. It’s only when you peel back those layers that you will be set free… Tell the truth and you’ll learn to stop eating to satisfy emotional hunger and to stop burying your hopes and dreams beneath layers of fat.
Perhaps because Oprah never thought solely of herself, things only got better. In 2003 she described what had been one of the most satisfying experiences of her career, dealing with a show guest named David Caruso, who had lost over 300 pounds. He had always wanted to be able to sit behind the wheel of a Porsche automobile — so she gave him one, and later commented,
One of the reasons that moment was so powerful is that I know what it takes to lose that much weight. Do you know how many carrot sticks you have to eat? What he did was incredible.
By 2005, Oprah was down to a “toned 160 pounds.” In 1996, she and Greene had published a co-authored book, Make the Connection, and in 2007 they collaborated on Greene’s “Best Life Weight Loss Challenge” TV show, bringing six contestants to public attention. The doctors almost disqualified one man because he was in such terrible shape, but he ended up losing 71 pounds — more than any other participant — and no longer needed pharmaceutical intervention to maintain his health.
By 2008, Oprah’s weight had bounced back up again, and the medical profession was confused. She was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, and then with hypothyroidism, and the whole situation was really starting to get to her, causing emotions that included anger. The fat had won.
There may be people incapable of embarrassment, but Oprah is not among them. Being such a highly visible public figure, she had to try on clothes in front of a whole team, and spent the year as “one of the most visible people in the world, trying not to be seen on the cover of my own magazine.” She felt defeated but still, deeply influenced by Greene’s teachings, realized that it wasn’t about the food:
It’s about using food — abusing food… Too much work. Not enough play. Not enough time to come down. Not enough time to really relax… I am hungry for balance. I’m hungry to do something other than work.
(To be continued…)
Your responses and feedback are welcome!
Source: “When Oprah Met Bob,” Oprah.com, January 2007
Source: “Oprah’s Top 20 Moments,” Oprah.com, undated
Source: “The Final Weigh-In,” Oprah.com, 11/28/07
Source: “Oprah’s Weight Loss Confession,” Oprah.com, 01/05/09
Image: Make the Connection/Fair Use
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