[ APPLAUSE ] >>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING.
I AM MEGYN KELLY. WE BEGIN, TODAY, WITH WEIGHT IN
AMERICA.
AMERICA.
CLOSE TO 40% OF AMERICANS ARE OBESE.TO 40% OF AMERICANS ARE
OBESE.
THEY NEED SUPPORT. THEY NEED KINDNESS.
AND ONE THING THEY DO NOT NEED
IS TO BE BODY-SHAMED.
I SAID SOMETHING YESTERDAY ON THIS SHOW THAT CLEARLY STRUCK A
NERVE AND I THINK ITS A
CONVERSATION WE NEED TO HAVE
OPENLY.
WE WERE DISCUSSING BODY-SHAMING OTHERS, SOMETHING I DO NOTAMING
OTHERS, SOMETHING I DO NOT SUPPORT.
SUPPORT.
IN FACT, QUITE THE OPPOSITE. WE HAD ON A WOMAN NAMED MARIA
KANG.
KANG.
MARIA CAME TO FAME A FEW YEARS
AGO AFTER SHE HAD THREE BABIES
IN THREE YEARS AND SHE POSTED A PICTURE OF HER TONED BODY ONLINE
WITH A CAPTION THAT READ, WHATS
YOUR EXCUSE? THE INTERNET WAS NOT HAPPY.
AND NEITHER WAS I WHEN I HAD HER
ON MY OLD FOX NEWS SHOW WHERE WE
HAD A CONTENTIOUS EXCHANGE.
THESE DAYS, MARIA HAS SOFTENED A
BIT AND WE HAD ANOTHER GO AT IT
YESTERDAY.
>> FOR ME IT WAS IRRITATING
BECAUSE YOU LOOK SO GOOD AND I
DONT LOOK LIKE THAT.
THATS HOW IT MADE ME FEEL.
THATS HOW IT MADE OTHERS FEEL.
>> I GET THAT.
>> YOUR GOAL IS TO BE AN
INSPIRATION, NOT A SHAMER.
>> NEVER.
THAT WAS NEVER MY INTENT.
MY INTENT WAS TO SAY, IF I CAN
DO IT -- IVE HAD THREE KIDS IN
A ROW, JUST LIKE YOU, YOU CAN DO IT, TOO.UST LIKE YOU, YOU CAN DO
IT, TOO.
>> THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE SLOGAN. SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE
SLOGAN.
YOU CAN DO IT, TOO.
THAT WOULD HAVE MADE ME SAY, HOW? WOULD HAVE MADE ME SAY,
HOW?
BEFORE SAYING GOOD-BYE, I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT MARIASI
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT MARIAS MESSAGE DOES ACTUALLY APPEAL TO
SOME PEOPLE.
SOME PEOPLE.
SHE HAS THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS
WHO HAVE MADE THEIR OWN NO
EXCUSES CLUB THROUGHOUT THE
COUNTRY.
AND I REVEALED SOMETHING I USED TO DO 25 YEARS AGO.THING I USED
TO DO 25 YEARS AGO. >> I AM NOT A ACCOUNTABILITY
COACH.
COACH.
BUT IF YOU GO TO MY FACEBOOK
PAGE, IM IN YOUR FACE EVERY DAY., IM IN YOUR FACE EVERY
DAY.
IF IM WORKING OUT, YOU CAN WORK
OUT, TOO.
>> THATS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO. PARLAY THE SHAMING THING INTO A
PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS BECAUSE
SOME OF US WANT TO BE SHAMED.
WHEN I WAS IN LAW SCHOOL AND WAS
GAINING WEIGHT, I TOLD TO MY
STEPFATHER, I SAID, YOU SEE ME
GOING INTO THAT KITCHEN, YOU
SAY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING --
MANY WOMEN HAVE TOLD ME THEY
HAVE DONE SIMILAR THINGS TO
CONTROL THEIR PROPENSITY TO
OVEREAT.
OVEREAT.
THE PRESSURE TO BE THIN IS UBIQUITOUS IN AMERICA.N IS
UBIQUITOUS IN AMERICA.
AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT CAN FACE
HEARTBREAKING CRUELTY.
I DO NOT ENDORSE THIS REALITY. THE TRUTH IS, I LOATHE IT.ITY.
THE TRUTH IS, I LOATHE IT. MY ENTIRE FAMILY IS OR HAS BEEN
OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE.
MY NANA, MY MOM, MY SISTER AND
MY BROTHER.
MY BROTHER.
I SPOKE TO MY SISTER YESTERDAY AND SHE GAVE ME PERMISSION TOY
AND SHE GAVE ME PERMISSION TO SHARE AT SHE WAS AT ONE POINT
OVER 300 POUNDS AND CHOSE TO
HAVE GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY.
ONE DAY WHEN I WAS 6 YEARS OLD I
CAME HOME IN TEARS.
OUR NEIGHBOR HAD CALLED MY MOM
FAT.
FAT.
AND I WAS ANGRY AND UPSET AND THOUGHT IT WAS ENTIRELY UNTRUE.
BUT MY MOM LOOKED AT ME AND
SAID, I AM FAT, MEG.
AND I SAID, NO, YOURE NOT, TO
WHICH SHE RELIED, MEGYN, IN THIS
HOUSE, WE DO NOT LIE TO MAKE
OVER
OVER
MOTHERS FEEL GOOD.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I SAW MY
MOM THROUGH THAT LENS.
AND IT WAS A LENS THROUGH MOST OF THIS COUNTRY JUDGES HEAVYST
OF THIS COUNTRY JUDGES HEAVY PEOPLE, A BRUTAL AND UNFORGIVING
ONE.
ONE.
BY THE TIME I GOT TO MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE HORMONES AND THE
WEIGHT KICKED IN.
I WAS CHUBBY BY ANY STANDARD AND
SOON I FOUND MYSELF ON THE WRONG
SIDE OF VICIOUS BULLIES, ONES
THAT CALLED ME FAT AND MADE FUN
OF MY BACKSIDE, WHO SUBJECTED ME
TO HUMILIATING PRANKS.
THOSE COMMENTS CAN CUT DEEP.
TRUST ME, I KNOW.
SOON, THERE WERE DIET PILLS AND
OBSESSIVE EXERCISE AND I HAD
REDUCED MY CALORIE INTAKE TO 500
CALORIES A DAY.
MY HEART WAS RACING ALL DAY.
MY HAIR AND MY SKIN WERE DRY.
BUT I WAS THIN AND SO UNHAPPY.
I WAS SCARED OF GAINING WEIGHT
BECAUSE OF THE INSANE STANDARD
THIS COUNTRY HOLDS ITS WOMEN TO.
AND BECAUSE I WAS AND REMAIN
AFRAID OF DYING IN MY 40s, WHICH
HAPPENED TO MY FATHER.
AS AN ADULT, I HAVE GOTTEN
HEALTHIER IN MY APPROACH TO
EATING.
EATING.
BUT I, LIKE EVERY WOMAN I KNOW,
STILL WRESTLE WITH BODY IMAGE. AND STILL CRINGE WHEN I HEAR A
PERSON ATTACKED FOR HIS OR HER
WEIGHT.
WEIGHT.
PLEASE KNOW, I WOULD NEVER
ENCOURAGE THAT TOWARD ANY PERSON.GE THAT TOWARD ANY
PERSON.
AND IVE BEEN THINKING A LOT
ABOUT WHY I ONCE ENCOURAGED IT TOWARDS MYSELF.E ENCOURAGED IT
TOWARDS MYSELF.
WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE IS THAT
WEIGHT IS AN ISSUE FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, THIN AND HEAVY ALIKE.
AND NEITHER DESERVES TO BE
JUDGED OR SHAMED FOR HOW THEY
CHOOSE TO HANDLE THAT STRUGGLE.
WERE JOINED, NOW, BY FITNESS
TRAINER, BOB HARPER AND
JENNIFER.
JENNIFER.
HI, GUYS.
I THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH A
DISCUSSION BECAUSE ITS SUCH AN
EMOTIONAL ISSUE.
>> YEAH.
>> YOU STEPPED INTO THE LIONS DEN YESTERDAY. INTO THE LIONS
DEN YESTERDAY.
I WORKED IN THIS BUSINESS FOR
SUCH A LONG TIME.
AND IVE WORKED WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH THEIRE WHO
ARE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR WEIGHT.
WEIGHT.
IT IS SUCH A SENSITIVE SUBJECT AND WHAT IVE TRIED TO DO WITHT
AND WHAT IVE TRIED TO DO WITH THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH, IS
APPROACH IT WITH A KINDNESS, A
FIRM KINDNESS, LIKE THE WOMAN
THAT YOU HAD ON YESTERDAY.
FIT MOM.
FIT MOM.
SHE LOOKS AMAZING.
AND FANTASTIC. BUT HER GOALS ARENT NECESSARILY
THE REALISTIC GOALS FOR THE
AVERAGE PERSON THAT IVE WORKED
WITH.
WITH.
AND THE WORDS, I LOVE THAT YOU
SAID YESTERDAY, WERE, WHY NOT,
YOU KNOW -- YOU CAN DO IT. I LOVE THAT MESSAGE THAT YOU PUT
OUT THERE.
OUT THERE. IM GLAD THAT YOURE WANTING TO
TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THIS IS
A CONVERSATION TO BE HAD THESE
DAYS.
DAYS.
ITS SUCH A HARD SUBJECT. >> IM HOPING THIS SHOW CAN BE
THAT KIND OF A PLACE, WHERE WE
CAN HAVE OPEN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT
ISSUES THAT ARE PAINFUL AND
DIFFICULT, WITHOUT STEPPING ON
LAND MINES.
LAND MINES. >> YOU WILL STEP ON LAND MINES
BECAUSE ITS EMOTION.
EMOTIONS ARE AUTOMATIC LAND
MINES.
MINES.
THERES NEVER -- WE DONT HAVE
THE MAP THAT TELLS US WHERE THE
LAND MINE IS.
WHAT YOURE SAYING IS PARENT
BECAUSE WE HAVE EMOTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH FOOD.L
RELATIONSHIPS WITH FOOD.
WE HAVE EMOTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR BODIES.L RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OUR BODIES.
AND THE PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES DO IMPACT THAT.LE IN OUR LIVES DO
IMPACT THAT. A BULLY SETS A TONE IN YOUR
BRAIN THAT YOU TAKE INTO ADULT
ADULTHOOD AND YOU BECOME THE
BULLY TO YOURSELF.
>> YOU BECOME THE BULLY TO
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF.
>> YEAH.
WHAT YOU WERE SAYING WHAT YOU SAID TO YOURSELF, THATS YOUOU
SAID TO YOURSELF, THATS YOU BEING THE BULLY TO YOURSELF.
WHEN YOU MAKE THE FAT COMMENT,
THATS A HARD APPROACH.
IF SOMEONE SAID THAT TO ME, I
WOULD BE LIKE THIS, IM GOING TO
EAT EVERYTHING IN MY REFRIGERATE
REFRIGERATOR BECAUSE YOU SAID
THAT.
THAT.
ILL EAT EVERYTHING BECAUSE YOU
TOLD ME NOT TO.
>> IT DEPENDS ON THE PERSON.
SOME PEOPLE APPRECIATE THAT.
MY HUSBAND LIKES A LITTLE REMINDER BECAUSE HES NOT PAYING
ATTENTION.
ATTENTION.
I HATE IT BECAUSE I FEEL SHAME IN IT. IT BECAUSE I FEEL SHAME
IN IT. THE SHAME MAKES ME WANT TO EAT
MORE.
MORE.
AND THEN, I DONT TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.N, I DONT TAKE CARE OF
MYSELF.
IM NOT MAKING GOOD CHOICES. I THINK WE HAVE TO SWITCH THE
NARRATIVE TO AM I THIN TO AM I
HEALTHY?
HEALTHY?
OR AM I FIT? >> THAT WAS THE IRONY OF MY OWN
SITUATION, I WAS SO SCARED FOR
MY UPBRINGING THAT I WAS GOING
TO DROP DEAD OF A HEART ATTACK
AT AGE 45 THAT I TOOK IT TO AN
UNHEALTHY PLACE.
UNHEALTHY PLACE.
NOBODY SHOULD BE EATING 500
CALORIES A DAY.
>> I HEARD BOB GASP.
>> 500 CALORIES. >> IT WAS A SHORT STINT THAT I
WAS DOING THAT.
I WOULD NEVER CATEGORIZE MYSELF
AS HAVING ANOREXIA, BUT I WAS IN
THE DANGER ZONE FOR SURE.
THANKFULLY I HAD THE LIGHTBULB
MOMENT OF THIS IS NOT HEALTHY,
EITHER.
EITHER.
>> I WATCH YOUR SHOW.
AND I LIKE THAT YOU TALK ABOUT NOT WANTING -- YOU DONT LIKE TO
WORKOUT.
WORKOUT.
BUT YOU LOOK GREAT. AND YOU -- IT IS WORK TO LOOK
THE WAY YOU LOOK.
AND I THINK ITS IMPORTANT FOR
PEOPLE TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT.
TO SAY THAT THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT ALL
THE TIME.
THE TIME.
I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT MY FOOD CHOICES.O THINK ABOUT MY FOOD
CHOICES.
IVE GOT TO REPRIORITIZE MY TIME TO MAKE SURE I GET TO BE MOREME
TO MAKE SURE I GET TO BE MORE ACTIVE.
ACTIVE.
AND SHOW PEOPLE THAT WERE ALL
IN THE SAME BOAT.
WERE JUST IN DIFFERENT COMPARTMENTS OF THAT BOAT.
>> THE OTHER PIECE OF IT IS THE
STANDARD THAT SOCIETY SETS HAS
TO SHIFT.
TO SHIFT.
>> WE HAVE SO MUCH WORK TO DO.
>> THE MAGAZINES, THE TV SHOWS, THE MESSAGING TO LITTLE GIRLSS,
THE MESSAGING TO LITTLE GIRLS ACROSS AMERICA IS STILL THAT
STICK FIGURE IS WHAT IS
BEAUTIFUL.
BEAUTIFUL.
>> AND IT STARTS WITH THE
PARENTS OR THE MEN AND THE WOMEN
IN THE LITTLE GIRLS LIVES,
RIGHT?
THEYRE SAYING, THE MOMS ARE
LOOKING AT THEMSELVES AND SAYING
IM TOO HEAVY.
LITTLE GIRLS ARE SEEING THAT.
THE DADS ARE, LOOK AT THIS IDEAL OF BEAUTY.RE, LOOK AT THIS IDEAL
OF BEAUTY.
AND WE HAVE TO CHANGE THAT. >> I ALWAYS SAY THIS -- YOU DO
YOU AND LET ME DO ME.
I THINK THATS THE IMPORTANT
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE. >> AND TRY TO LOVE EACH OTHER IN
THE PROCESS.
THE PROCESS. THATS WHAT I HOPE TO POINT OUT,