Open Letter to Oprah

Dear Oprah,

I Tivo your show every day and reference it almost as often in my daily life. I think you are truly an inspiration, though I know that sounds cliché. In fact, it is because of my great respect for you, that I’ve hesitated writing this open letter to you for some time. However, after today’s show, “Why Kirstie Alley Fell Off the Wagon,” I must put my fingers to the keyboard and get out my thoughts.

You said today, as you have said many times this year, that you can’t believe you’re still talking about weight. With all due respect, then stop talking about weight!

If you can truly stop talking about weight, you will find that your issues with weight will melt away (often along with the weight itself). But you can’t focus on that last part – the weight. You just can’t. And unfortunately, though I know you know “it’s not about the weight,” you’re still focusing on it during your shows [insert flashy teaser of “World’s Best Dieter” who has gained and lost 3,000 pounds over his lifetime].

Despite so many weight-loss/gain shows, I know you get – profoundly – that "it" is not about food, weight or diets. I know you do. And your wisdom on that subject snuck out, even during today’s show that was purely about weight loss and gain.

You wisely asked Kirstie if the bikini has to be the goal. You reminded Kirstie that it’s not about comparing yourself to someone else’s body (thank you).

Oprah, you get that this is a journey about health, and you get that health means emotional, spiritual and physical health. You understand better than many other people that “it” is not about weight or food.

But sadly, your show continues to be about weight and food. We’ve seen close-ups of your meal plan(s), we’ve listened to Dr. Oz review caloric information with vulnerable kids who want to lose weight, we’ve looked through the pages of “Eat This, Not That” and been reminded too many times that “It’s not about the food, so choose the good foods.” That just doesn’t work.

Stick with your guns. This is NOT about food. There are much more important issues that should pave the road of this journey for every single person on it. Issues of worth and love, emotional hunger, joy, sadness, fear. Feelings. True, real-life, don’t-always-feel-good feelings. That’s what this journey is about. It’s not about the cheesecake (eat it if you love it). And it’s not about organic strawberries (eat them if you love them – but do so from a place of pleasure rather than from a place of deprivation or self-righteousness).

Oprah, if you truly are committed to changing the conversation about weight, I urge you to stop focusing your show on weight. Stop producing flashy teasers of weight loss and weight gain stories. You have offered so, so much to this world, and I’d love to see you help our nation change the conversation around diets (which are proven to result in weight gain in the long term) and weight.

If you’re looking for an alternative to attention-grabbing weight-loss (gain) stories, please, please, please consider devoting an entire hour-long show to Intuitive Eating. And start with the co-authors of the book. There is so much wisdom between the pages of that book and in the minds of the nutritionists who created this non-diet approach that is helping – even saving lives of – people all over the world.

With an overflowing sense of respect,

Maggie