My January issue of O Magazine arrived in the mail recently and was sitting on our kitchen counter, where it would have lingered until well after our holiday guests left had my almost 13-year-old daughter not glanced at the cover and commented on it. The cover, if you haven't seen it already, features two pictures of Oprah: basically a before (buff) and now (not) with the headline 'How Did I Let This Happen Again?' plastered across the front. My daughter remarked that it was pretty ironic that while Oprah seems to be all about helping women improve their self esteem and feel good about themselves, her own magazine is obsessed with what she weighs. Hmmm, I thought. Good catch.

I had heard all the hoopla on the news and had read in People how disgusted she was with herself about her weight gain, but had not thought much about the irony. I figured it would make for a good update to my BeWell blog and was about to start writing when my closest friend from childhood mentioned how well Oprah was taking care of her own health. The resultant conversation revealed a crucial difference in our opinions: she had read the actual article in the magazine and I had not! So I did. And she was right: Oprah's own words were wonderful. She said that she had a new plan to no longer focus on the weight itself but, instead, to focus on her health. She went on to say that she would 'get support when I need it, find ways to nurture myself, deepen my spiritual connection, and have some fun.' She intends to shift the focus from weight to optimum health.

Oprah is right. Being healthy doesn't depend on what the scale says, but instead is about a whole host of factors. Research has shown that it is better to be fat and fit rather than thin and a couch potato. I don't think there are any studies to show this, but I would guess it is better to be fat and surrounded by loving family and friends rather than be thin and completely socially isolated. What about being fat and happy rather than thin and depressed? Do we really know which is better? Think about all the factors which contribute to good health: nutritious food, regular exercise, no more than moderate alcohol consumption, zero nicotine or illicit drug exposure, low stress levels, lots of supportive social connections, religious or spiritual beliefs, a sense of purpose to one's life, and feeling hopeful about the future. The message we have gotten for years is that being fat is the worst thing you can be. But, in fact, research shows the people whose BMI is in the range of 25-29 actually live longer than those in the supposedly ideal range of 20-24.

I wish that the tag line across the cover of O said something different. But I am guessing the one the editors used is more likely to sell magazines than one which is actually based upon the research. But read her words for yourself because her approach is the one to follow!