Argumentative Essay On Oprah Winfrey

The Oprah show in 1988 received its highest television ratings when Oprah Winfrey celebrated her 67-pound weight loss. She showed off how she looked in a pair of size 10 Calvin Klein jeans, reminiscing of how she fit in those same jeans 8 years earlier. She also illustrated it by wheeling a wagon full of fat on to the stage 1. Things changed dramatically in 1992, Oprah was weighing 237 pounds, the heaviest she has ever been 2. This caused her to have some strong opinions against diets: "I 've been dieting since 1977. The reason I failed is that diets don 't work. I tell people, if you 're underweight, go on a diet and you 'll gain everything you lost plus more. Now I 'm trying to find a way to live in a world with food without being controlled by it, without being a compulsive eater. That 's why I say I will never diet again 1".

Nonetheless, the cycle started again. In 2005 she showed off her toned 160 pound body on the O magazine. In 2009, she was back to 200 pounds 2. "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?’ 2”. The inclusion of this well-known celebrity example of trouble with

One study found that as BMI increases, so do the number of sick days, medical claims and healthcare costs associated with that person 11. Obesity (BMI > 30) related job absenteeism costs $4.3 billion annually based on data collected between 2000 to 2004 in the US 12. It is also reported that moderate to extreme obesity (BMI > 35) is associated with lower productivity at work which costs employers an additional $506 per worker every year, almost a 4.2% health related loss in productivity, which is 1.18% greater than all other employees.