Oprah has always been very open about her battles with her weight. In 1990 she hit her heaviest at 237, but Bob Greene [1] came to her rescue with The Best Life Diet [2], and she dropped to 160 by 2006. By 2007, she was fit and healthy and even ran a marathon [3]. This year, she went vegan for a 21-day cleanse [4].

In the latest issue of O magazine [5], however, Oprah talks about gaining weight, admitting that she hit [6] the "dreaded 2-0-0." For her height and weight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that puts Oprah in the obese [7] category, since her BMI [8] is 31.8. She's concerned that the extra weight puts her at risk for health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Since she has issues with her thyroid [9], she had a fear of working out, and she said [10], "I was so frustrated I started eating whatever I wanted — and that's never good." She also said, "I'm embarrassed. I can't believe that after all these years, all the things I know how to do, I'm still talking about my weight. I look at my thinner self and think, 'How did I let this happen again?'"

As Oprah is always looking to better herself, she's planning to get back in shape in 2009 with her upcoming Best Life Week [11] series beginning Jan. 5.