Weight Watchers and Oprah--confusing

[Moxie]

Why is Oprah, a woman who is and has for many years been overweight, the new face of Weight Watchers?? Why not someone who has been successful in their weight loss?

[forty-two]

A quick googling suggests it's probably because Oprah isn't just doing WW but also made a significant investment in them (bought 10% of their stock).

Edited December 29, 2015 by forty-two

[Annie G]

I know she bought a large chunk of WW stock earlier this year but I saw a new commercial today and it was not convincing. She's talking about trying for years to lose the weight and 'if not now, when'?  Well, she's tried everything- had the best personal chefs, etc. and she still struggles. So I'm not sure how seeing her in the commercial is supposed to inspire me. 

[Scarlett]

I thought she bought more than 10%. But yeah, that is why she is doing commercials.

[Night Elf]

I don't know her story well, but from what I do know of her, I'm not sure she should be the face of WW. It seems to say that using WW, you may lose your weight but you'll likely gain it back again. Didn't she yo yo with her weight? When I joined WW in 2011, the message I always got was that it was a lifestyle change. They made it seem easy to lose weight and maintain, and I've been doing great so far. I did just quit though. I don't like their new point system and website. I'm terribly disappointed.

[Night Elf]

Okay, I just went and looked at the commercial. I still don't like it. While she is talking in the background about being lost in carrying too much weight, they are showing old clips of her struggling while exercising. At least the expression on her face looks bad. What kind of message is that? I don't know how others will interpret it, but I see it as saying exercise won't help. Of course, I do believe that diet is the majority of weight loss. I lost 50 lbs. without exercising much, but I do know that exercise is highly recommended on the WW program.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I'm not an Oprah fan at all.  

 

What this looks like to me is that Oprah is taking her book club concept and doing the same for WW.  Everyone will feel like they are in her little "group" as she supposedly does the program at the same time as everyone else.  She knows she can drop 50 lbs because she's done it a million times.  She'll do it with her nation-wide group, everyone will be starry eyed for her, and then she'll quietly turn it over to someone else and quietly gain back her weight.  

 

That's my prediction...

[Joyofsixreboot]

Because she can. It will attract a whole group of people. I also have another take on it. She is an " every woman". She is hardly alone in her battles. I have empathy for that and I'm sure others will too.

[SporkUK]

An internationally famous woman - famous for being her empathy and her listening and helping struggling people - who openly discusses her issues and the difficulties and someone lots of people have seen demonized for her weight issues among other things like many other people with weight and health problems.

 

I've never paid much attention to her, but I can see why she would appeal and why WW think she could bring in new or wider range of people. Lot of rich people put money into companies and don't become the public face - and lots become public faces without understanding or putting money in. I'm sure I could think of someone better eventually, but I do not think she's an odd choice. Honestly, I'm more surprised the two haven't come together sooner - make more sense than a lot of the celebrities I've seen attached to health products. 

 

 

[6packofun]

Because she likes being the face of...anything?  I mean, we're talking about someone who has put herself on the cover of her magazine for how many years now?

[Lolly]

Because she can. It will attract a whole group of people. I also have another take on it. She is an " every woman". She is hardly alone in her battles. I have empathy for that and I'm sure others will too.

 

This. She is the normal person, that is one who struggles constantly with their weight. How many people who have lost and then regained will be encouraged to try again? Despite what everyone/most people think, weight is going to be a constant struggle for most who are overweight. And, the lifestyle change doesn't tend to work because the extreme many people have to live in order to be thin is just that...extreme...and not easily, or even moderately easy, to sustain. In fact, for many overweight people it is not something they can do long term (and quite likely not healthy for them either). Oprah will appeal to those people because she is one of them.

[GinaPagnato]

I just watched the commercial. It was moving to see old clips of her exercising, even at a heavy weight. I have no doubt that she sincerely wants to lose weight. It's an uphill battle for many, many people.

 

But. Oprah Winfrey is always going to work on advancing her empire, and this move to join WW is part of that. It will help her financially, of course, and keep her name out there. When she says she's come to "this most powerful moment," I was all :huh: . I can't think of anyone who has had more "most powerful moments" in her life! That being said, I have tremendous respect for people who get up again, and try even after failing. I see overweight people walking around the track at our local high school and I think, "Good for you! Way to go!" It doesn't matter how many times they try and fail. They keep on trying, using alternate methods, and that's awesome, imo.

 

So, go Oprah! May you lose the weight for good, and if you make millions more as a result, that's just (fat-free) icing on the (low-cal) cake!  :)

[SparklyUnicorn]

Well on the other hand I respect that she knows a thing or two about trying to lose weight.  She's been up and down, like a lot of people. 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

From my understanding, Oprah joined WW last year and lost 15 pounds before purchasing the stock and being asked (requesting to be??) the new spokesperson.  I have been told that the new WW program is more holistic than before, focusing on psychological health, better eating habits, and physical activity at the same time. I think this is the impetus behind Oprah's statements.  It shows that you can have the money, the personal chefs, the ability to lose weight but if you aren't changing your mindset or addressing the problems that led you to overeat and self indulge with food you will end up right where you began.

 

Disclosure:  I did WW about 10 years ago and did get to my goal weight.  I have since regained everything I lost.  

Edited December 29, 2015 by ScoutermominIL

[Soror]

I think she is the perfect person for the job. Having someone as the spokesperson who uses WW and loses weight and keeps it off in one try is not representative of reality, gaining and losing, gaining and losing is the reality for most people- I don't think it is a help for people to act like there is some magic thing out that permanently solves your weight problems. What I see on the commercial is someone being honest about how it has went, of course she has wanted to succeed like everyone, of course she has tried, it seems obvious to me that she has worked on making it a lifestyle but saying you are going to do something and doing it are 2 different things for all of us. I think it is encouraging to see that yes, even someone with that much money and everything at their disposal struggles, I'm not weak and lazy because I struggle. Most programs give this impression that if you fail it is all your fault for not trying hard enough and I don't think that helps anyone. *I've never used WW or any other weight loss program- when I've needed to lose weight due to pregnancy/Thyroid I did the basics but I've never been that obese and it just isn't the same for those with a few pounds vs. obese--> morbidly obese

Edited December 29, 2015 by soror

[SparklyUnicorn]

I think she is the perfect person for the job. Having someone as the spokesperson who uses WW and loses weight and keeps it off in one try is not representative of reality, gaining and losing, gaining and losing is the reality for most people- I don't think it is a help for people to act like there is some magic thing out that permanently solves your weight problems. What I see on the commercial is someone being honest about how it has went, of course she has wanted to succeed like everyone, of course she has tried, it seems obvious to me that she has worked on making it a lifestyle but saying you are going to do something and doing it are 2 different things for all of us. I think it is encouraging to see that yes, even someone with that much money and everything at their disposal struggles, I'm not weak and lazy because I struggle too because most programs give this impression that if you fail it is all your fault for not trying hard enough and I don't think that helps anyone.

 

Exactly.  If Weight Watchers was magical, they'd be out of business already.

[Catwoman]

Because she likes being the face of...anything?  I mean, we're talking about someone who has put herself on the cover of her magazine for how many years now?

Well, it's sort of Oprah... ;)

 

She put a face and a body on the magazine covers that is supposed to be Oprah, but that is actually more of a total fantasy of how Oprah would like to look. The Oprah on the magazine covers looks almost nothing like the real Oprah. The magazine cover Oprah is a tribute to the miracles of Photoshop.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Well, it's sort of Oprah... ;)

 

She put a face and a body on the magazine covers that is supposed to be Oprah, but that is actually more of a total fantasy of how Oprah would like to look. The Oprah on the magazine covers looks almost nothing like the real Oprah. The magazine cover Oprah is a tribute to the miracles of Photoshop.

 

Hey if I had a Sparkly Unicorn magazine I'd be looking extra sparkly on the cover. 

 

:laugh:

[Catwoman]

I saw the WW commercial and I thought Oprah came across as incredibly phony and insincere. I was actually kind of surprised by that because she usually seems more convincing.

 

I think she is a terrible spokesperson, for the reasons others have already mentioned. I hope WW works for her, but until it works for her long term, I won't be impressed by any results she gets from the program because we all know that Oprah can lose weight. We also all know that her problem is keeping the weight off.

 

I think WW is an excellent program and I know women who have gotten great results and maintained their weight loss for many years. Those are the people who should be in the WW commercials, not Oprah.

[Catwoman]

Hey if I had a Sparkly Unicorn magazine I'd be looking extra sparkly on the cover.

 

:laugh:

But would you put yourself on every single cover, every single month, every single year? Has Oprah ever not been on the cover? I suspect that Oprah has a pretty massive ego.

 

That could be part of her interest in WW. Maybe she thinks being in the commercials will make her more relevant again. And I wouldn't doubt she will be writing a book about her incredible weight loss success... again....

[SparklyUnicorn]

But would you put yourself on every single cover, every single month, every single year? Has Oprah ever not been on the cover? I suspect that Oprah has a pretty massive ego.

 

That could be part of her interest in WW. Maybe she thinks being in the commercials will make her more relevant again. And I wouldn't doubt she will be writing a book about her incredible weight loss success... again....

 

Yeah I suppose that is a bit much.  Rachel Ray doesn't do that.

[Carol in Cal.]

WW is the only program I have ever seen work for people in the long run.

 

It hasn't worked for everyone, but the people I know who have lost weight and kept it off are WW people.

 

Oprah has yoyoed like most people do (and I admit that I don't understand this.  If I had that kind of money, I would have a cook and a nutritionist on staff, and I wouldn't have to do the damn calculations all the damn time, plus there would always be lots of zero points food ready to eat right there at my fingertips, and I would eat it.  I might not be model-thin, but I would be a lot better.) and now she is on the verge of trying something that has a better potential than anything else out there except MAYBE weight loss surgery.  I say good for her!

 

Having said that, I hate the new WW.  It is very poorly documented, and makes it hard to plan.  They rolled it out before it was really ready, is my opinion.  And the woowoo stuff is not nearly as helpful as those little check boxes were for fruits, veggies, water, vitamins, etc.  Plus I never watch videos--give me print.  So it's inefficient as well.  Quite a come down from before.  I'm very disappointed.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I know she bought a large chunk of WW stock earlier this year but I saw a new commercial today and it was not convincing. She's talking about trying for years to lose the weight and 'if not now, when'?  Well, she's tried everything- had the best personal chefs, etc. and she still struggles. So I'm not sure how seeing her in the commercial is supposed to inspire me. 

Maybe I am wrong but I have always seen her as very fit despite being heavier so to me she may be a very good model. I remember that she had a very rigorous exercise program and thought that she still does. Plus, I believe that overall she has made lots of efforts at healthy eating which can be done even at a heavier weight.

 

So I do see her as inspiring since goal weight is not the only goal. Health would be the most important goal to me and I believe it is possible at heavier weights ( but not morbidly obese).

[Annie G]

Maybe I am wrong but I have always seen her as very fit despite being heavier so to me she may be a very good model. I remember that she had a very rigorous exercise program and thought that she still does. Plus, I believe that overall she has made lots of efforts at healthy eating which can be done even at a heavier weight.

 

So I do see her as inspiring since goal weight is not the only goal. Health would be the most important goal to me and I believe it is possible at heavier weights ( but not morbidly obese).

 

I'm a firm believer in eating a healthy diet and exercising and not focusing on the scale numbers. (Dh had a heart attack nearly ten years ago and despite healthy eating and working out, he is still overweight. But healthier than a lot of our friends who eat crap and never exercise) 

 

I'm not an Oprah follower so I can't comment on how fit she is.  But my point was probably more along the lines of wondering how she can inspire people to lose with Weight Watchers when she hasn't.  I didn't realize she'd tried WW. I just heard she bought stock.   I guess I wouldn't buy Proactive based on seeing a celebrity with bad acne saying 'let's try this!".  On the other hand, how many people ate Subway sandwiches because Jared Fogle lost (and kept off for years!) weight?    

 

My apologies for using Jared as any kind of example! I just meant that Subway took his 'success' and it inspired others to buy their product.   

[Chris in VA]

But would you put yourself on every single cover, every single month, every single year? Has Oprah ever not been on the cover? I suspect that Oprah has a pretty massive ego.

 

That could be part of her interest in WW. Maybe she thinks being in the commercials will make her more relevant again. And I wouldn't doubt she will be writing a book about her incredible weight loss success... again....

 

My suspicion is that she has to keep affirming herself because she spent her formative years with people who didn't.

Some wounds are lifelong. She surrounds herself with those who now tell her how wonderful she is, and she still seems to not believe she's worthy of love, not deep-down, not in her very most inner part.

[redsquirrel]

What I have seen with WW, which isn't a whole lot, is that they tend to focus more on being healthy than having an unattainable figure.  A couple years ago they had Queen Latifah as a spokesperson and she focused on 'just lose 10% for health' that I thought was very sensible. I mean, most people (myself included) could stand to lose 10%. And I have so many friends who need to lose quite a lot of weight, so much that it seems overwhelming. But, 10% might not be so overwhelming.  And with a 10% loss your blood chemistry gets better, you feel better etc.

 

But, if they keep that focus on being healthy or getting healthier and not so much on being 'skinny' I can see Oprah being a great spokesperson.

 

 

[Jenny in Florida]

Don't most of the WW spokespeople start off overweight?

 

As I recall, the usual trajectory is that WW hires a celebrity who wants to lose some weight, and then there is a series of commercials that document the celebrity slimming down.

 

I assume they will have Oprah do the same thing.