Are Oprah & Dr Oz Really Suing?

I'm an admitted skeptic when it comes to any "news reports" dealing with celebrities...but I'm hoping this one is true! I'm going off on a bit of a tangent here...I hope you will stick with me as I weave around weight loss a bit...

According to Yahoo News 2 days ago Oprah and Dr. Oz are suing companies who falsely claim that either big "O" is endorsing their product. You can read the story by clicking here.

I have been wondering for a long time how these people get away with it. Do they think that celebrities don't care about how their names are used? Do they think they are so small that no one will notice?

Referencing a show that was aired, a comment that was made on the show...that is one thing--as long as it is an accurate representation of what was said, or your own commentary sparked by the show for example. But to actually misrepresent your product in an attempt to mislead people into believing Oprah or Dr. Oz (or anyone else for that matter) endorsed it is so wrong.

Look, I'm no celebrity...but I have my philosophy about weight loss, eating right, and what it takes and doesn't take...and I don't want someone claiming that I've endorsed their product, service or choice if I haven't! That actually happened to me recently and it really ticked me off. Someone quoted me saying something that there is no way I would say...on a subject within nutrition that I know nothing about. And if it can happen to me, then I can just imagine the hay day (or is it hey day??? I've never known...I should look it up, but I'm on a roll here...) that unscrupulous people have with someone as visible as Oprah.

My theory is to treat people fairly. Be honest. What you do, who you are, and how you treat people will come back to/at you at some point. You might gain in the short term...but in the long run it will hurt you.

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a long time then you know I admire and reference Oprah and Dr. Oz from time to time. I don't always agree with them, but I do admire them. I know that Oprah cares about people and I believe from what I have read and seen of her over the years that she wants people to be healthy...I've seen her endorse a lot of things, but I have never heard her endorse any particular weight loss program, pill or diet other than Bob Greene's approach. Now, I haven't watched 100% of her shows, but that's what I've seen.

I've seen her mention other programs on the show. For example in her famous before/after shows many times the guest will reveal the name of the program they followed. Another example was when Kirstie Alley, Valerie Bertinelli, Marie Osmond and Star Jones were on (you may remember my comments on that!) they mentioned the programs they followed. I do not believe Oprah endorsed any of the programs that were followed--nor did she dismiss them--they were simply tools that those particular guests used to accomplish their goals.

So if she isn't going to endorse these programs that were successful for her guests, why would she endorse something that she hasn't brought up on the show or in her magazine? Or has she? If you know different let me know!

Here's the bottom line--there are a lot of weight loss programs and products out there. I've personally used many of them without success. That doesn't mean they don't work or can't help people...at least for a while. I know what works for me is working on my mindset first and foremost. By doing that, the rest of it falls into place. That is what enabled me to drop 125 pounds--changing what is going on between my ears.

Will I ever be on Oprah? Maybe, maybe not...I did she on Oprah.com a reference to "Think Yourself Thin"--someone else's program--so perhaps we are on the same page, or at least the same book. But I'm not going to try to claim that Oprah has read MY book or agrees with MY philosophy or has used any of my tools. (Believe me, if she did I would be thrilled to be able to!!!)

I figure there are lots of programs and lots of people who want help to gain health. We don't need to lie about what we are doing. If people buy our system, either literally or figuratively, and it helps them then that's fantastic! If people don't want to buy it, that's okay too. I want to help people, but I know people have the best results when they make decisions based on their deepest desires, not what someone else thinks--even Oprah!

This is a very long way around to say--believe in yourself. Love yourself. Be true and honest in who you are. That is really what Refuse to Diet is all about. You must learn to love yourself and believe in yourself in order to successfully, permanently lose weight. You must be honest about what you eat and do...that means you must be conscious about your food intake...you have to look in the mirror and learn why you are eating, why you are holding onto the fat...when you can do that, then you will be able to see it drop away like I have.

It is all up to you. And it starts with love!