Oprah Winfrey Says Sorry for Being a ‘Major Contributor’ to Diet Culture Shaming

Oprah Winfrey rarely expresses career regrets, but she considers her role in promoting diet culture one of her biggest missteps. On May 9, at a WeightWatchers event called “Making The Shift: A New Way to Think About Weight,” Oprah led a discussion with Rebel Wilson, Busy Philipps, and Amber Riley about the lasting impact of diet culture.

The 70-year-old media mogul admitted she had been a significant force in promoting modern diet culture and declared she was “done with the shaming.” She addressed both the in-person and virtual audience, explaining her desire to change the conversation about body image and weight.

Oprah reflected on her participation in diet culture through various platforms, including her talk show, magazine, and online presence. She cited a specific moment from “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 1988 when she rolled a wagon loaded with 67 pounds of animal fat onto the stage to represent her weight loss from a liquid diet. This episode, which reached 62 million viewers, was one of her greatest regrets.

Oprah explained that this demonstration promoted an unhealthy standard, as she began regaining weight almost immediately after. She quoted Maya Angelou, saying, “When you know better, you do better,” and emphasized her current efforts to foster healthier conversations around body image.

Winfrey summed up, “I own what I’ve done, and now I want to do better.”