On abandoning “fattertainment”: Why the way we talk about childhood obesity matters

In Oprah Winfrey’s recent primetime TV program, “An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution,” the talk show host sat down with Maggie Ervie and her mother to discuss adolescents using blockbuster drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight. At just 13 years of age, Ervie underwent bariatric surgery and was prescribed Victoza, a GLP-1 agonist that was an early predecessor of today’s most common anti-obesity medications. 

Ervie’s story and its recent spotlight on Winfrey’s special — which portrays obesity as a chronic disease instead of a character flaw — reinforces why the way we talk about childhood obesity matters, especially in the Ozempic era.

Throughout her career, Winfrey has advocated for and elevated conversations surrounding weight health. The entertainment mogul herself fell victim to nasty media scrutiny surrounding her body. “For 25 years, making fun of my weight was [a] national sport,” she recalled, adding that she was ridiculed on every late-night talk show and on tabloid covers. Her special, Winfrey explained, centered on abandoning shame, specifically shame felt by those who are overweight and those who choose to use medications to help lose weight and maintain it.

“I come to this conversation in the hope that we can start releasing the stigma and the shame and the judgment to stop shaming other people for being overweight or how they choose to lose, or not lose weight, and more importantly to stop shaming ourselves,” Winfrey said.

Winfrey’s coverage of obesity hasn’t been perfect in every instance. Many will note her infamous 1988 segment, in which she wheeled out a wagon onstage containing 67 pounds of animal fat after losing 67 pounds on an all-liquid diet. Others will point to older episodes of her show, wherein she shared outdated advice on how to lose weight fast. 

But what Winfrey has largely consistently managed to get right is her approach to childhood obesity. In her recent special and in old episodes of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Winfrey allows children to speak candidly about their weight, often showing in raw detail how obesity takes a toll on them mentally, socially and physically. 

In a 2009 episode, Winfrey staged an intervention for sixteen teenagers living with obesity in hopes of helping them take control of their health with guided assistance from medical counselors and professionals. “We wanted to challenge them to take part in a grueling eight-hour intervention where they confront the reasons why they're overweight,” Winfrey said. “As you hear from them, you'll understand how they got here goes way beyond junk food.” The emotional episode essentially provided a safe space for the teenagers, showing them that they weren’t alone in their fight. It also opened viewers’ eyes to what living with obesity truly entails. Those who could relate said they saw themselves in many of the teens’ personal stories, while others said they were moved by Winfrey’s humanizing showcase.

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In 1995, Winfrey hosted a similar episode that focused on three young girls who spoke about their struggles with weight loss after previously writing to Winfrey about insecurities regarding their weight. “With cameras following the families in crisis, as well as candid conversations live in the studio, the children and their mothers address the emotional roadblocks that contribute to childhood obesity,” the episode’s description read.

“By providing solutions, rather than showcasing problems, the show hopes to use the power of broadcasting in a positive manner,” it continued. 

Such was the case on her recent weight loss special. 

In addition to highlighting the science behind GLP-1 agonists (short for glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists), Winfrey dedicated one segment to childhood obesity. Obesity amongst children and teens remains a major public health crisis in the US. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 19.7% of adolescents and children in the U.S. — approximately 14.7 million individuals — are obese. Worldwide, more than 1 billion people suffer from obesity — 650 million 

Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are surging in popularity, thanks to the internet. And as of recently, they’re being utilized by children as young as 12. NBC News reported that the American Academy of Pediatrics now allows young patients to take prescription weight-loss drugs, a decision that has been met with fierce disapproval. Last year, the reputable group added anti-obesity medications as part of its guidelines for treating obesity in children ages 12 and up. Behavioral and lifestyle changes are still considered “the first line of treatment,” but for some children, they aren’t enough to help lose weight. Medications, in those cases, can help patients ultimately attain success.

Weight and obesity are understandably very sensitive topics — childhood obesity, even more so. But unfortunately, conversations about the medical condition remain incredibly hard — and uncomfortable — due to fatphobia in the media we consume. In 2014, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found at least one instance of stigma about fat people in 70 percent of the children’s movies they analyzed, per The Huffington Post. In “Kung Fu Panda,” Master Shifu complains, “Look at you! This fat butt, flabby arms...and this ridiculous belly!” upon meeting the film’s protagonist, a giant panda named Po Ping. Similarly, in “Shrek The Third,” Puss in Boots wails, “At least you don't look like some kind of bloated roadside piñata! You really should think about going on a diet!” Researchers also mentioned “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and “Wall-E.”

Of course, the study contained several limitations. Many of the films featured anthropomorphized animals, as opposed to humans, and some ultimately tackled the weight-based stigma in the end. Regardless, the limitations don’t diminish the fact that such rhetoric is still inherently harmful. Especially considering that weight-based bullying is still a common form of bullying that many children experience in schools. A 2019 study conducted by researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., and the National Institutes of Health found that making fun of children for their weight is linked to increased weight gain well into adulthood, NPR reported. Increased teasing also leads to more weight gain, the study added.

That’s all to say that words matter — and how childhood obesity should be discussed matters, too.