Will Oprah Find Love?

No, I’m not talking about Oprah’s relationship with Stedman, or Gayle King, or anyone else for that matter. I am talking about finding love for herself. In January, she came out once again to talk about her battle with her weight, asking herself “How did I let this happen again?” To be fair, she goes on to describe a series of medical problems that led to the eventual diagnosis of hypothyroidism (where your thryoid is underactive, thus slowing down your metabolism). But her diagnosis was only part of the explanation for her weight gain over the last couple of years. Stress and depression, partially brought on by her health problems led to poor eating habits as she searched for comfort in food.

Sound familiar? On the one hand, I think it can be somewhat of a relief to hear that even people like Oprah suffer from the same problems as the rest of us. On the other hand, it leads one to ask the question: “If she can’t conquer this thing, with all her money, power, personal trainers, personal chefs, a staff of contributing mental health professionals, etc., then how the heck are the rest of us supposed to do it?”

For years we have followed Oprah’s weight loss triumphs and failures. I remember years ago, Oprah stripping away a baggy dress to reveal her “new” body that for the first time in years fit into a pair of old jeans she had hung on to. As soon as the episode was over, I put in my Jane Fonda work out tape (yes, I am dating myself here) and worked out like crazy, inspired by the show. But how many ups and downs have their been since then — for her and me? Too many to count, and with each new battle of the bulge came a new low in self esteem. Of course, I have no way of knowing personally where Oprah’s self esteem actually lies. But given how much emphasis she still puts on her weight — even though she is considered one of the most influential, wealthiest, well-known women in the world — she still, in her own words has yet to “learn how to embrace this body and to be grateful every day for what it has given me.”

I am glad that she has realized that her problem is not a weight problem, it’s a love problem. She knows the importance of learning to love oneself, and is on the path, once again to try and find that love. And I am glad she is challenging her readers and viewers to do the same, since that’s what VenusVision is all about — loving ourselves.