Erica Schwiegershausen

Erica Schwiegershausen is a health journalist who covers topics related to wellness, mental health, and medical advancements. She has written for The Cut, where she focuses on the intersection of celebrity and health culture. Her work often explores the complexities of body image and diet culture in society. Prior to her career in journalism, Schwiegershausen studied psychology and worked as a therapist.

Biography:  https://www.thecut.com/author/erica-schwiegershausen/

70%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

65%

Examples:

  • Oprah's Weight Watchers special on Ozempic was framed as a revolutionary solution to ending shame and weight stigma, despite critics arguing that WeightWatchers has contributed to diet culture.
  • The special focused on the role of weight-loss drugs as a path to ending shame and stigma, which can be seen as promoting a narrow view of body acceptance.

Conflicts of Interest

100%

Examples:

  • Oprah recounted her heartbreaking 1985 appearance on The Tonight Show, when Joan Rivers implored her on national television to lose 15 pounds.
  • The special framed weight-loss drugs as revolutionary and a path to ending shame and stigma.

Contradictions

85%

Examples:

  • Critics argued that WeightWatchers has contributed to diet culture, leading Oprah to question the point of WeightWatchers in this context.
  • Despite Cottom's unsparing New York Times review of Oprah's previous Ozempic special, their conversation ended with the two hugging.
  • Oprah Winfrey hosted a WeightWatchers virtual event aimed at dismantling the current diet culture, but the event focused on weight-loss drugs as a solution.

Deceptions

40%

Examples:

  • Changing her body by taking injectable semaglutide is presented as the only solution to weight shame and discrimination.
  • Oprah recounted her heartbreaking 1985 appearance on The Tonight Show, when Joan Rivers implored her on national television to lose 15 pounds.

Recent Articles

Oprah Winfrey Apologizes for Promoting Diet Culture and Shifts Focus to Body Acceptance and Medical Interventions

Oprah Winfrey Apologizes for Promoting Diet Culture and Shifts Focus to Body Acceptance and Medical Interventions

Broke On: Thursday, 09 May 2024 Oprah Winfrey apologizes for promoting diet culture through her platforms for over 25 years and expresses regret for setting unrealistic weight loss standards. She now advocates for body acceptance and medical intervention, with WeightWatchers following suit by launching a new membership plan focusing on prescription drugs. The conversation around health and wellness is shifting towards a more nuanced approach, emphasizing overall well-being rather than just weight loss.