“Worrying”, “ineffective”… Oprah Winfrey’s diet was denied by a nutritionist

For more than thirty years, the character of Oprah Winfrey has been the subject of toxic media fascination, oscillating between criticism, encouragement and ridicule. Recently, her body has become the talk of the town. Indeed, the famous American presenter undertook a serious weight loss during the post-operative recovery period of the knee. On the red carpet at the film’s premiere in early December Purple color, the 69-year-old billionaire captivated the crowd by revealing his svelte figure. “Aware of the uproar,” Oprah Winfrey revealed to the magazine People the methods that allowed her to transform her body, namely overnight fasting, intense hydration, the Weight Watchers diet, and the use of weight loss pills. Intrigued by the process, we consulted a nutritionist to find out if the methods used had real benefits and if some of them could pose health risks.

Night fasting: moderate

One of Oprah Winfrey’s first decisions was to revise her diet and, in particular, her dinner time at 4 p.m. People. This is an overnight fast, a concept close to intermittent fasting, which consists of not eating for more than 16 hours, that is, until breakfast the next day. This practice actually benefits the body, says nutritionist Faiza Bossi. “During fasting, the body draws more fuel from fat stores in adipose tissue, replacing glucose. This will help regulate insulin and cholesterol and protect our body from various digestive pathologies.

While fasting can obviously also lead to weight loss, it’s mostly used for “depressant” purposes to calm the digestive system and eliminate toxins. According to the doctor, fasting in its intermittent version should not be considered as a diet, but as a detox that should be done from time to time, for example, after the excesses of the year-end holidays or during a change in the schedule. season “It doesn’t make sense to continue this long-term because the body will naturally develop a resistance mechanism to weight loss,” explains Dr. Faiza Bossi. Without forgetting that it can be dangerous all year round, because fasting requires the body to compensate, which can cause vitamin deficiencies, such as anemia.

Extreme hydration – ineffective and dangerous

Oprah Winfrey seems to have taken on the TikTok challenge ‘Thegallonchallenge’, which invites fans to drink a gallon of water a day, which is equivalent to 3.7 liters. Among the purported benefits of this practice, followers report a bloated stomach and weight loss after 30 days of trying. If the use of water is essential for the functioning of the body, it does not lead to weight loss, says the nutritionist. “Drinking water can have a slight satiating effect and suppress hunger for a few seconds, but it does not go beyond that,” he emphasizes.

These supposed slimming benefits are not only false, but also potentially dangerous. “Normally, the body needs about 2.5 liters of water to replace water losses through sweating and urine. Beyond 3 to 5 liters, we disrupt the body’s water exchange, which can cause neurological or cardiac complications,” warns Dr. Faiza Bossi.

Weight Watchers diet. fun diet rebalancing

It’s no secret that the grandfather of American talk shows is a loyal subscriber and, above all, a private shareholder of the Weight Watchers program. Created in 1963 by 107kg former New Yorker Jean Niedetsch, this diet aims to return to a balanced diet without restrictions, respecting a set number of units per day. “This scoring system is based on official nutrition recommendations; the more fatty, sweet or salty the food is, the more harmful it is for the body; on the contrary, the less it contains, the more we can use them without moderation,” the nutritionist clarifies. According to the health care provider, this is a fun approach to rediscovering the basics of healthy eating, but also caring, as subscribers are invited to share recipes and motivate each other through the platform.

People who follow this diet diligently can achieve their goal of weight loss or weight stabilization. Over the years, Oprah Winfrey has said she’s lost up to 40 pounds using this method. However, there is a downside to stopping. If you leave the program without medical help, you will tend to regain the lost weight, notes Dr. Faiza Bossi. In addition, medical supervision is also necessary to exclude people whose diet may cause adverse effects, such as individuals with eating disorders, pregnant women, or minors.

Weight loss treatment. a worrying medical trend

Oprah Winfrey also resorted to an unusual and first of all criticized measure. prescription weight loss medication. “I use it now when I feel the need, as a yo-yo control tool,” she says. People. While it didn’t reveal a specific link, the announcement comes months after Weight Watchers acquired Sequence, a telehealth platform that offers access to medications like Ozempic, noted . New York Times in an article published on December 13. Originally prescribed for type 2 diabetes and morbid obesity, these drugs are also increasingly being used by overweight people for their weight loss effects.

However, this abuse is not without risk. “By taking Ozempic without proven medical indications, we are exposed to side effects such as digestive disorders, nausea, vomiting or even diarrhea,” explains Dr. Faiza Bossi. There is also a risk of inflammation of the pancreas. And since the pancreas produces insulin, if its function is impaired, you can become diabetic. Last March, the Drug Safety Agency and the Health Insurance Port announced in a joint press release that the drug would be subject to increased scrutiny.

No miracle solution

That being said, the doctor invites us to question the intentions of celebrities who talk about their miraculous transformations. “When we know that Oprah Winfrey is a judge and part of a well-known company, the promotion of any product remains questionable from an ethical point of view,” he emphasizes.

Also, there is no cure or miracle food that can control your weight. Above all, it takes time and regularity, insists Dr. Faiza Bossi. If you want to lose weight, medical monitoring (and psychological, depending on the situation) along with a balanced diet and regular sports practice is recommended. Here’s the one thing to remember from Oprah Winfrey’s practice. Every day the driver walks 4 to 8 kilometers, and on weekends – 16.