“I’m mad at myself. I’m embarrassed. I can’t believe that after all these years, all the things I know how to do, I’m still talking about my weight. I look at my thinner self and think, “How did I let this happen again?”
That is how Oprah, on her Web site Oprah.com, describes her state of mind in 2006 when she realized she was gaining weight again. She made it a goal back in 2004 to lose weight and slimmed down to 160 pounds in January 2005. But she couldn’t keep the weight off, and is back to almost 200 pounds. “It happened slowly. In February 2007, at 53, I started to have some health issues. At first I was unable to sleep for days. My legs started swelling. My weight started creeping up, first 5 pounds, then 10 pounds. I was lethargic and irritable. My internal clock seemed totally out of whack. I began having rushing heart palpitations every time I worked out. OK, I’ve never loved daily exercise, but this was different. I actually developed a fear of working out. I was scared that I would pass out. Or worse. I felt as if I didn’t know my own body anymore.”
After visiting various doctors, Oprah finally discovered what was happening. “I had hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid that can speed up metabolism and cause weight loss) — but of course [it] didn’t make me lose a single pound, and then [it] gradually started moving into hypothyroidism, a sluggish metabolism that can cause fatigue and weight gain. My doctor prescribed medication and warned me that I must ‘learn to embrace hunger’ or I would immediately gain weight.”
Singer Angie Stone also has battled weight gain and the health issues that go along with it. As a diabetic, she understands how important it is for people to understand the role that diet and exercise play in maintaining one’s health. She has become an avid spokeswoman for Eli Lilly’s F.A.C.E. diabetes. “Being a celebrity that is a diabetic and [facing] some of the same problems that our everyday, around-the-way folks are dealing with — it was a great move for me because I think we need to lead by example and what I’ve done is taken a chunk out of my time to come to my people and help educate us on how we can beat this disease,” she says.
With celebrities becoming more vocal and passionate about making the public aware of the diseases and issues that go along with obesity, perhaps we can begin to curb America’s ongoing struggles with weight gain.
–todd williams
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