Re: Oprah and her weight - Musings

[Guest guest]

Hi Sharon,

I'm working offline, so didn't see the article you mention, but interesting

post. . . waiting for your full article on this topic one of these days. (When

published, let us know! You're a great writer!)

Anyway, just some other sides to consider. (as you know, I don't mind

shaking things up either!)

1. Maybe she's " like " an addict and essentially " fell off the wagon. " Maybe

what we're missing here is more of the biological/brain issues that are often

ignored. Just as many drug/alcohol/gambling addicts do fine for a time then

resort to old behaviors. . . It's well recognized that there is a huge

component of " cravings/choices " that is related to self regulation of our brain

chemistry.

Choosing some behaviors isn't really a " choice " because the desire to

" self-medicate " the brain response is more " basic " than the desire to stay in

the

place you are. . .

What causes this " brain imbalance? " Many things, including, briefly:

Adequate balance of omega-3's to other FAs??

Stress response triggered by abuse/neglect/fear, etc? (But, then, why

aren't all holocaust/concentration camp survivors obese. . . does

" family/group/I'm not in this alone " play a role in how we process/perceive

abuse? If all

the kids in a family are abused the same, is there less obesity then when 1

child is singled out, publicly or privately?

I've occasionally seen something called " Thought Field Therapy " work for

overeating - The " fear " of being thinner and more attractive is removed, thus,

eating behaviors change and wt drops off. (_www.tftrx.com_

(http://www.tftrx.com) for more info - my hubby was trained in the

therapy/technique many years

ago.) - I know that when my sister wanted to " ward off male attention and

wait for her high school sweetheart " while she got her teaching degrees and

taught overseas for 10 years " she gained about 25 pounds for about 10 years,

only to drop it prior to their wedding, never to put it back on again the last

20 years of their happy marriage. (She insists it was just coincidental. . .

I know her well enough to know better.)

I've known women that gain weight " post-rape, " not really understanding that

rape is an issue of rage much more than beauty, but feeling " safer " at a

" perceived less attractive " weight.

Other " brain triggers " ? Dopamine/serotonin/cortisol dysfunction. I recall

hearing that Oprah found out that she had hypothyroid issues. . . don't know

if it's true or not.

2. If you research obesity and mediator release/cytokines, you see that for

many, it's an inflammatory response to foods that triggers/maintains obesity.

I've seen many people only avoid their specific " trigger foods " and weight

drops off without otherwise trying. Maybe that's an avenue Oprah has never

considered, since it's not widely recognized except by researchers.

3. Finally, I appreciated Oprah's response to " I have to accept the skin I'm

in. " We should all be doing that, daily, every day of our lives. . . Like

many overachievers, maybe she's still, on her inner child basis, looking for

approval. . . Sometimes, the happiest people are not wealthy, just because

they don't need to " prove their worth " to anybody . . . A job for all parents

to

instill in their own children.

On the other hand, thank God for all those " not the best " parents or we

might all be content to just do the status quo instead of pushing towards what

good we DO accomplish. . . (I love my 83 y/o mother and we talk many times a

week now, but I was never hugged by her until after I was 20 years old and

insisted I needed the hugs. . .so, yes, I fit that mold as well. . . even if I

" know " in my heart that being Finnish and losing 2 young children prior to my

birth created her pattern of stand-offish ness and involvement/affection, etc.)

Oh, well, so much for my musings for the moment. . . ;-)

Thanks for brining this up, Sharon!

Jan Patenaude, RD, CLT

In a message dated 12/9/2008 1:14:27 P.M. Mountain Standard Time,

sbsrd@... writes:

Sorry for the cross posting but I thought this was important:

__http://www.msnbc.http://www.http://ww_

(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28139107_)

(_http://www.msnbc.http://www.http://w_

(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28139107) )

As if I needed to be told in an article that Oprah is fat again. I'm not

surprised. Are you? Hiring personal trainers and personal chefs and making

erstwhile psychologists and doctors famous and having all the money in the

world

apparently is not enough to solve the problem. So what does that tell us

about

the obesity issue in this country! The solution is not exercise. The

solution

is not dieting. The solution is not money!

Of course, you might say that had she continued exercising and dieting, she

might not have gained weight but that's the problem. How does one adopt a

regimen so alien to her way of life and continue it forever? And she had

more

support than any of us will ever have and stills he was unable to maintain

the

regimen. In front of the world, she " slipped " and started enjoying her food.

In the article she states that she started to eat whatever she wanted. OMG.

What a terrible idea. To eat whatever you want. Why is that a crime or

something that one should be sorry about. To enjoy the food you eat.

Some of you eat whatever you want and stay slim and trim but that's because

you don't " want " the same foods that Oprah (and I) want.

And how do we retrain ourselves (without a lobotomy or electroshock therapy)

to eat only " good " foods in " good amounts " whenever we want?

I admit to some bias here. I'm sort of glad she got fat again. It's a lesson

for everyone who thinks that if someone wanted to lose weight and keep it

off, they could. Here's someone who has every advantage and short of having

someone smack her each time she reaches for something she shouldn't, she has

been unable to stay at her goal.

No doubt she will be making some new guru rich and famous come the new year

when she unveils whatever new program she will adopt to change her life. I

only wish that some dietitian can break down that door and enter her inner

sanctum. Not that I think we have the solution but why shouldn't one of us

benefit

from her quest!

Sharon Salomon, M.S., R.D.

1924 East Flynn Lane

Phoenix, AZ

__http://www.linkedinhttp://www.linkehttp:/_

(http://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonsalomon_)

(_http://www.linkedinhttp://www.linkehttp:_

(http://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonsalomon) )

_http://diaryofadiethttp://diaryohttp://dihtt_

(http://diaryofadietingdietitian.blogspot.com/)

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Jan Patenaude, RD, CLT

Consultant, Writer, Speaker

Director of Medical Nutrition

Signet Diagnostic Corporation

(Mountain Time)

Fax:

DineRight4@...

Mediator Release Testing and LEAP Diet Protocol for Irritable Bowel

Syndrome, Migraine, Fibromyalgia and more. Co-developer of Certified LEAP

Therapist

Training.

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