Oprah Winfrey admits to setting 'Unrealistic Standard' for Dieting

Oprah Winfrey doesn’t seem too happy or proud of her weight loss journey.

The television producer shed some light on her dieting journey that was a centre of attention for the media for years, and what she feels about being a contributor in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.

The 70-year-old media mogul appeared on a three-hour live YouTube special with WeightWatchers, talking about leaving the diet culture behind with fellow stars Rebel Wilson, Amber Riley, WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani and different doctors and several expert voices.

Winfrey reflected on how the media stalking her weight made her obsessed over how she looked and prompted her to try extreme and unhealthy ways to lose weight.

“I want to acknowledge that I have been a steadfast participant in this diet culture,” she said during the live event.

“Through my platforms, through the magazine, through the talk show for 25 years and online, I've been a major contributor to it. I cannot tell you how many weight-loss shows and makeovers I have done and they have been a staple since I've been working in television.”

She continued, “I've shared how that famous wagon of fat on The Oprah Show is one of my biggest regrets. It sent a message that starving yourself with a liquid diet set a standard for people watching that I nor anybody else could uphold. The very next day I began to gain the weight back…”

“That wagon of fat moment was set into motion after years and years of thinking that my struggle with my weight was my fault and it has taken me even up until last week to process the shame I felt privately as my very public yo-yo diet moments became a national joke,” she said.