...is the headline of a recent People article by a writer I never want to meet named Stephen M. Silverman. Mr. Silverman states that Oprah is fat now. In fact, he states it about 7 times. He also threw in some very negative self depreciating quotes by the accomplished business mogul and philanthropist; "I felt like a fat cow," Winfrey writes of the occasion when she sought to skip out on a Las Vegas show taping with Cher and Tina Turner. "I wanted to disappear." And then to round the story out, we have the obligatory; According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Winfrey's weight and height rank her as obese, with a body mass index of 31.8 – putting her at "at higher risk for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol," says the CDC.

All true, you may say. And she probably did make those statements. Well, just like most women, Oprah talks a lot. She makes jokes. She exaggerates in conversation for effect. She emotes. You could probably find her patting herself on the back or being thrilled with accomplishments several times in a day as well (she is Oprah, for God's sake). How many times do you have to write "Oprah is fat" before you are really just pointing and insulting? Less than 7. And it's funny, but I don't remember anyone quoting the CDC after stories of Angela Jolie's past drug use or Jamie Lynn Spears' teen pregnancy or just about any story concerning an emaciated model. I think you could quote authorities on the dangers associated with most subjects in People.

I would like to counter Mr. Silverman.

Why Oprah Should Stay Fat:

Some of us are genetically created to be a certain size. Oprah is not meant to be 160lbs. It does not look good on her. She looks shriveled and pained when that small. Maybe a nice comfortable 180-190 pounds would work and be maintainable. The food addiction she talks about probably stems from depriving herself so often and focusing on her weight all the time. It must be constant pressure to try to be someone you are not, naturally thin in this case. I wonder how much of the real problem is a preoccupation with perfection and not really food related at the core.

Oprah deserves a break. Whether you like her or her show is really mute. I don’t even watch television. But I know Oprah has worked hard. She has accomplished much. She has helped many. So how about letting her relax a bit and have some fun and hot fudge sundaes?

She can be a much needed role model. Not just for the fact that even as a larger woman she has and still does create empires and move mountains. Even better, she can learn to accept herself as wonderful and beautiful (even if not perfect) at any size and share that with the world. There is no better message for our superficial narcissistic American society right now.

What we need to stop accepting is attitudes like Mr. Silverman’s that do nothing but point out the atrocity of a woman gaining a few pounds and validating that she should hate herself for doing so. This message is so prevalent in our media and society we don’t even catch on to it most of the time. It’s just there. Like a scrawny, scroogy ever pointing finger.

I hope for a change that may eventually come. Inclusion of the fat along with the thin in ads, magazines, television and film. And by the people in the cubicles who work around you so that you don’t have to hear them talk about their diets all day. I once asked a co-worker how her day was. “It was going well, but then I ate a Moon Pie. I’m so mad.” was her reply. I would ask that if you are going to hate yourself, please make it about something more substantial than what you ate today. There has got to be a better reason than that. Convicted criminals are sitting in prison whistling away their days while you are guilting yourself into a depression over a snack cake.

And the reality is that we don’t have to wait for society to change. We have the power to choose our own role models. I’ll say it again. We have the power to choose our role models. I remember seeing a commercial over ten years ago, maybe fifteen. Cindy Crawford was telling us how we don’t have to hate ourselves because we can just eat the cereal she eats and then we can look like her. Of course, I had eaten leftover fudge pie for my breakfast. So down came the pangs of guilt and inferiority from the supermodel Gods from above. I clicked the remote. Now on my screen was a pudgy, ruddy, poorly complected woman wearing no makeup. She was pear shaped and her shorts were neither flattering nor fashionable. This woman is not a TV personality, but a pediatric nurse. And a lawyer. And a humanitarian who organizes and travels with a group saving deathly ill children in third world countries. Who is your role model?

See more commentary and comedy from Jacki Schklar on funnynotslutty.com and southernjewishprincess.com.