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Star Jones is suddenly in the spotlight again for her weight. Less than two weeks ago the television personality was berated by the Daily Mail (a publication we take with a grain of salt) for her supposed “weight gain.” And this morning, Jones appeared on the Today show (not looking like she had gained any weight, really) to openly discuss her weight. And while the details of her gastric bypass surgery and the controversy surrounding it was interesting, what struck me the most was her honesty about taking full responsibility for her weight–something more people should do.
Jones starts out by admitting that she was dangerously overweight back in 2003 when she had reached her peak weight of 307 pounds:
I wasn’t fluffy, I wasn’t full-figured, I wasn’t plus-sized, I was morbidly obese.
She then goes on to talk about why she kept quiet for so many years after having the gastric bypass. Jones told Matt Lauer that people were really upset over her refusal to discuss the surgery and her weight:
It really ticked them off. Because I was so public with all other aspects of my life I think the audience felt betrayed in some way. And I completely understand that. The reason I say I don’t regret that, Matt, is it really worked for me. It allowed me to get emotionally safe and secure.
Her decision to remain private was more about her own insecurities though–something people tend to think celebrities don’t have. Sometimes we forget that they are people, too, just like us. The reason Jones said she couldn’t go through the process publicly was because she feared she would fail–just like she had so many times before with her weight-loss struggles:
I’m not sure I thought I would be successful at it, to be honest with you. I thought I’d gain the weight back. I had never been successful at losing weight before. I needed to forgive myself for being such a smart girl and so stupid when it came to something like my health.
She went on to say that she doesn’t regret maintaining her privacy–something she had every right to:
Emotionally I made the decision not to discuss it publicly. I was depressed and confused and not really ready. And I don’t apologize for it. I know people really want me to say that I wish I would have told everybody. I did it the way I needed to do it.
Today, at nearly 50 years old, Jones says this is the happiest and healthiest she’s ever been. Although she admits that the gastric bypass surgery was not an easy solution to her weight loss. She credits it with helping her lose 80-100 pounds, but then says the rest was “all her”.
I have to say, her honesty here is refreshing. Even though it took her a long time to come forward with the details of her weight loss, I love how she takes total responsibility for being obese at that point in her life. It seems like in today’s society, there are so many people looking to blame others for why our nation has such a high obesity problem. But the truth is, it all boils down to personal responsibility–something that Jones is taking.
Today, Jones says she maintains her health with a lot of hard work and three things: Green leafy vegetables, high protein diet and getting her “butt up” to “get to that gym.” What a great role model.
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