The Real Reason Oprah, You and I Keep Getting Fat

I'm convinced that the second conclusion is the right one.  The key to understanding what's been missing is to take a closer look at the approach that Oprah, you, and I have been taking to weight gain and weight loss.  We all believe the problem is "personal."  Since Oprah can afford the best help money can buy, she is able to hire the best "personal" physician, the best "personal" trainer, and the best "personal" spiritual advisor.  For those of us on a more limited budget we settle for the latest "personal" diet program.

But what if the real problem we face is "social" not "personal"?  What if all our personal efforts will be for naught, without a change in our social understanding of food?  What if the missing person on the dream team is a London-born economist who worked at the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, and the United Nations?  His name is  Raj Patel.

I first met Raj in Mendocino, California when he was on tour for his book, "Stuffed & Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System."  Though he started out as a card-carrying member of the corporate-dominated economic system, he has since become an outspoken and noted critic of all of these organizations, and has been tear gassed on four continents protesting against his former employers.  

jkjenner's picture
What started out as an interesting article became a cheap pitch for someone's book and website.
mufasa313's picture
I beg to differ. I have been diagnosed with under active thyroid. But after reading a new article pertaining to our dear friend Oprah. I'm not so sure that the medication I've been taking for 12 years has helped me. I still have weight loss followed by weight gain, sleeplessness, tired. But I too live a very stressful,hectic lifestyle with work & family. If anyone is interested in this article it is at this location. http://www.naturalnews.com/025325.html I am not in any way affiliated with this website, I subscribe to their newsletter along with Third Age, and several others that pertain to healthy living. I too am looking for the answer to feeling good at my age.
vee3801cee's picture
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS ARTICLE. TOO MANY OF US REALLY THINK THAT WEIGHT GAIN IS PERSONAL.
JedDiamond's picture
Thanks for the interesting comments. All are right on. We do need to take responsibility for our own health, but it is easier if we're not being bombarded by corporate messages for us to eat more junk. We also need to get out and move more.
jhstein's picture
I meant to write "IS that we need to get away from our computers,"et al
jhstein's picture
The REAL reason why we've gained weight and that we need to get the hell away from our computers and television entertainment systems and get outside and do something outdoorsy. Spend no MORE than an hour on the computer. Walk to wherever you can. Get a dog! That will get you outdoors, unless you like wearing waist high waders when you walk into your living room! Additionally, stay away from processed foods. Read EVERYTHING in the ingredients on bottles cans, etc. Make your OWN salad dressings, spaghetti sauce etc. Pay attention to detail on whatever food you consume. The extra pounds and fat will drop off quickly and stay that way when you adapt and maintain your new lifestyle. It works for me!
1stfrogprince's picture
I was disappointed in the story about Oprah, you and I getting fat and blaming it on corporations. When will we learn to start to take responsibility for ourselves and not blame someone else. Yes, it is probably true that “corporate think” does have something to do with the food we have available but we CHOOSE to eat that way. How many people today go to a fast food restaurant and pork down on fatty foods then go home and sit in front of the TV. KFC ought to be ashamed of themselves making the gullible public believe if Mom goes to KFC and brings home a bucket that that constitutes a home cooked family meal. HELLO !! It has nothing to do with additives in our food but the QUALITY of the food we consume. I can go to the store and spend as much on fresh and canned foods for making several meals and spend just as much money as I'd spend for a family for one meal at a fast food place. Time need to prepare... a slightly overstated myth. In about ½ hr to 45 min. I can have a wonderfully well balanced and cheaper meal for a family than I could possibly get from fast food restaurants. Drinkers of Diet drinks.... these actually make you hungrier than a soda with sugar. Ask any flight attendant who asks for refills of soft drinks… diet soda drinkers or regular soda drinkers. Diets don’t work. We all know that. What we fail to acknowledge is that if we want to lose weight it will be from a life style change, eating sensibly and exercising. AND doing it for LIFE. Yes, you can fall off the wagon occasionally. Have that cheese dip at Christmas. Drink that extra drink at New Years. But then you have to get right back to your regular “new” routine. Losing weight is easy. Keeping if off is the hard part. Don’t blame some faceless corporation or other entity for your choices. Take responsibility for yourself for a change. If you don’t you will always be fat. Take this to heart. I’m tired of paying extra on my insurance to cover obesity related diseases and sharing half of my airline seat with an overweight person who should have bought two seats.
neverknow64's picture
I am a woman, 72 years old, who had been slim and often too thin all my life. In my 50's, I began to gain weight, but was too busy taking care of my parents and mentally retarded sister to investigate the reasons why. Finally, when I became ill with a respiratory illness and just couldn't get better, I went to a doc who suspected hypothyroidism. The results came back...TSH: 199. I began the thyroid med, and lost fairly quickly, but never returned to anything like my 117 pre-hypothyroid weight. Those who like to pooh pooh thyroid problems that result in weight gain frankly don't know what they're talking about....regardless of medical degrees. You have to experience it to know it...and several of my friends, family, and I know the real truth. It's difficult enough to be put in a situation over which we have little control, and really abusive to have others ridicule the weight gain that results from an underactive thyroid.
slok98's picture
The reason we are fat an unhealthy today is the quaility....or lack there of in our food today. The animals get shot up with growth hormone to make them weight more so they bring more money at market.....guess where that growth hormone ends up....in fat us. The farms are not rotated, turned under, rested and all those things they use to do to grow highly nutirtious foods...not to mention all the chemicals they use on them....so the food product we eat isn't satifying our bodys....thus we eat more and grow more. Very few people cook from scratch or grow their own, and more often use packaged products from the stores that have long shelf life and lots of perservatives but have lost a good deal of the nutritional value.....not to mention all the sugar and refined products we eat. Many people eat all three meals in a fast food resturant at least...and a set down resturant at best. Add to the the lazy life style many of us have....and there my friends are the reasons we are fat.
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