DoctorOz: Fat Shaming Backfires! Dr. Oz Confronts Roosh V

There are monsters that lurk in the shadows of the internet, shaming and bullying people for the way they look. It's time for them to come out from behind their computer screens. Meet Roosh V. He calls himself the leader of the international fat shaming movement. His goal? To encourage others to join him in publicly humiliating women for their weight as a way to force them to conform to his idea of beauty. The internet makes it much easier than ever for bullies to hide. But I'm not letting them hide anymore. Celebrities under fire. Kelly Clarkson attacked on Twitter a year after giving birth. Comedian Amy Schumer, mocked by web trolls for her weight. Now everyday people targeted by fat bullies. Like Sean, internationally humiliated for simply dancing in public. All for body shape and size. The Internet's a playground for fat shamers, and it's getting much darker. Roosh Valizadeh uses the pseudonym Roosh Vork to proclaim himself a fat-shaming activist and organizer. So incendiary, he's on watch lists for embodying the dark underbelly of the Internet full of venom and vitriol. Roosh claims men would rather die than that have sex with a woman over 150 pounds. He has even declared jihad on fat women. His mission, quote, to make it more acceptable to shame, bully, and humiliate fat women into thinness. Now, he's calling for a worldwide fat-shaming movement, rallying his followers to snap photos every time you see a girl with a bit of muffin top, and post them to Twitter. Today, we unmask one of the internet's most notorious body bullies. Roush Valizadeh, who goes by Roush V, has agreed to join us in studio. So if you can explain the purpose of this fat-shaming movement. What's the intent? Sure. Right now, the intent is a reaction to the fact that in the past 30 or 40 years, people in the USA have increased their size to such a point where two-thirds of people here are overweight. I think that fat shaming actually will reduce the health concerns, the health problems that people face right now. I disagree, and we'll come back to that. But let me just, so people understand what you're doing, just read some stuff. These are posts you have. I think it's hateful material, personally. Unfortunately. You know, people hear what you say. But now that you're not hiding behind your computer, let's have an honest conversation. I do not hide. My name is out there. You see me on the Internet. I do YouTube videos, so I don't hide. So I don't want people to think that. Here's one statement. Men would rather die than sleep with a woman over 150 pounds. How can you speak for all men saying that? For the men that I have met, men who are thin, who go to the gym three times a week, who lift, who exercise right, who have good jobs, they do not want to date a woman who is massively overweight compared to a thin woman. I wish I could speak just for myself, but I work out three times a week. I do what I can to stay healthy. I love women in whatever shape they're in. It doesn't frankly matter to me what's on the outside. It's a much deeper issue that I'm searching for. But you have to say that because you have millions of viewers. I think I am speaking in a way that men speak with each other in the locker rooms. You're in different locker rooms than me, Roosh, and I'm not saying that because I'm on the show. I'm on the show because I believe that. If you were given an option between a woman who is 300 pounds and a woman who is 125 pounds and all else. If all else is equal, would you honestly pick the woman who is 300 pounds? You know, if you don't... First of all, saying all else is equal is a very difficult thing to process. People learn through the messiness of life. I'm fascinated by people who are overweight. I'm fascinated by people who are underweight and everyone in between because we all bring lessons of life. And if we listen to those stories because the people in our life define who we are, then we learn from all of them. On the other hand, here's your comment on beauty since you brought it up. Again, I'm quoting from your website. Beauty on the inside. That's just something that ugly people and feminists say. You use such ugly words to describe beauty. I mean, have you ever had a weight problem? No. So how can you understand what they're feeling? Because how someone looks on the outside is indicative of how they are on the inside. If someone doesn't have the self-control to exercise, to watch how they eat, if they're big on the outside, that is a sign that there is probably some problems on the inside. Roosh, we're all messed up. If you can hear my voice, you're messed up. That's who we are. Okay, that's your thing. Now, but part of this, but Bob, do you fat shame men too? The first thing I tell men who come to me when they want to increase their success in life is to hit the gym. I have caused thousands of men to eat right, to go to the gym. By fat shaming them? So, yes. Men, they don't, they respond to logic. If you tell a man in a faster way, if you tell a man that if you're thin, if your muscles look good, more women will be attracted to you, they will sign up for a gym membership in a day. Roosh. What? What do the women in your life think about what you're doing? What's your relationship with them? Your mom, sisters, cousins? They love me for who I am. They don't love me for the ideas. The ideas that I push concerns dating between women and men. I'm just stating a simple fact that men like women who are thin. I'm asking these questions because I'm trying to figure out why you're so screwed up. Okay. I mean, we're talking about fat shaming. And that's what you're responding to. I'm trying to diagnose you. Now, let me just go off the topic. You've mentioned several times that you're doing this for altruistic reasons, that you want to help women and men lose weight. I just did a quick search. I know you're coming on this week. I actually went through these papers. 50 papers. 50 papers. Here they are. Fifty papers showing that fat shaming doesn't work. It's the exact opposite now What happens is when you fat shame people they feel worse about themselves their self-esteem drops And then they eat to comfort themselves what does work is making people realize how special they are That's the big message here. Does it does it work now? I haven't seen that but does the tips that you share the advice that you share is it Is it helping? Because I see the obesity epidemic is growing. So what you are doing, what good intentioned doctors are doing, doesn't work. So we need to try something else. And I believe shaming, making a girl embarrassed to look the way that she does. Will help more than you giving a tip to eat eat, right, you know, I'm not even gonna have a debate here the papers you go I didn't have the opportunity. You don't have to read them you won't find a single paper that argues in your favor In fact, I couldn't find a single person who watches this show who agree with what you're saying Not one just give me one person in the audience now who thinks that if I make you ashamed of who you are You'll lose weight. Okay, it's not gonna happen. I'm looking around. I see no hands. This is a sampling of 200 What is it? That made you get up one day and say, you know what? I'm going to put out hateful, fat-shaming messages. I don't think that it is hateful, but I will say that it was sad that every year when me, a straight man, would have less options to date a thin, beautiful girl. Every year, women, we're getting larger and larger. It has to be stopped in some way. I'm on the same team as you. We just use different medicine. We're not on the same team at all, believe me. If you're on my team, we're ending the game. What angers me the most is that Roosh is upping the ante by encouraging others to take and post pictures of women that they see who have, quote, I'm giving this as your quote, a bit of muffin top, bingo wings, or cankles. Now, I know how painful this is, so I found a picture on Twitter, one of your followers, heavily blurred it out because I want to protect this woman. Here's what the tweet says. This is what you're proposing and supporting. Here's the tweet. Fat pig pulls in front of me at a gas station and cuts off my exit and blocks people on the right. I mean, what do you say to women who are being publicly violated in this way by complete strangers who follow you? I think we each, thankfully, we each have the right to share our thoughts, our... opinions. If your feelings are hurt, you know, I can't help that. But everyone here has the capability to say something to me, which will hurt me as well. And that's their right. Mankind is your business. Mankind is your business. It's not about a law. You can't legislate morality or ethics or kindness. What keeps all of us spinning on this globe is because we have empathy for each other. I wish I could scan your brain and understand what's happening inside because there are pieces that are missing. And it's not even rational what I'm hearing. Now, I've said a lot. I want to ask the audience members, and so when we come back, some women in my audience have a message for Roosh. We're back talking with Roosh V, who calls himself the leader of the international fat-shaming movement. Please welcome Jeanette, Irina, and Megan, who've all faced fat-shaming in their own lives, and they're here to speak with you. I want you to just process what they're saying. Jeanette, what angers you the most about some of these posts that you're seeing? First thing, you're very disrespectful. That's wonderful. It's morally wrong to make fun of other people. I was one of the people that was fat-shamed. I went to a bar a few months ago, two guys taking pictures behind me, laughing. And guess what I did? It doesn't hurt my feelings. I turned around and let them have it. Because after 40 years of dealing with people like you, What I want to do, what I want to do is, what I... There's no... We're done. We're done. We exist. We're here. You don't know me. I have a nutritionist. I am gluten-free, fat-free, sugar-free. You don't know what I do. And I'm a mother and a teacher. And I have to take care of the children that you're messing up. Absolutely. Absolutely. The articles, everything that you're saying, it just makes me livid. Like, just seriously angry because you don't know, again, what people have to go through in their regular lives. I argue, you know, what did you go through in your life? Like, seriously, like, you know, because what I see is low self-esteem. I see self-hatred. I see that, you know, you're struggling because... One thing I do know, and I know for sure, is that hurt people, they hurt other people. It's a shame. It's a fat shame, actually. It's a fat shame that you think that this is going to help the community. It's not. There are children who are struggling with obesity. Are you prepared to fat shame them as well? It's absolutely ridiculous. Okay. Let me just get Megan in, and I want you to respond to all of them. Megan, please. Hey Roosh, we must make you very uncomfortable. We are strong, confident, successful, beautiful, plus-size women, and we must make you very uncomfortable. So I'm sorry for that if I'm making you uncomfortable right now. But when I read your website and I read what you do and I see what your followers and your leaders and your army does, I feel sad. I feel sad for you and I feel sad for them. Because in an industry where we are finally taking the right steps to get body acceptance and self-love, something that's universal, What you are doing is taking 10 steps back because fat shaming someone and making someone feel bad about themselves is actually only turning the mirror around on you. Roosh, this is going to be the first generation where the life expectancy is shorter than that of our parents and grandparents. So wait, wait, please, please, please. So therefore, the kids that you have will see her mom. For a shorter time, because the fat problem is unsolved. If it were a health issue, it's not anything else. It's a health issue, but not the way you're describing it. What you're hearing from these beautiful women, and you are beautiful. You are picking out the most extreme things I've written. I mean, you haven't picked out how I'm teaching men to go to the gym and eat right. Roosh, what you're saying at its very core is wrong. And when people think that embarrassing others gets them to change, It means they don't know... about people. So I've had a very difficult time sitting here letting you speak on my stage. Okay. It is, I think, enough. Certainly, you're out there on the web everywhere, but it's enough of my audience to be able to tolerate this. So I'm going to ask, if I can, to Mika, you're a plus-size model. You're trying to change the face of beauty, and you wanted to be here today, so the platform is yours. What do you want to say to Roosh? Hi, Dr. Oz, and thank you for giving me this opportunity to be here and Roosh. I'm going to take the approach of treating you like a human being because you don't view me as that. You, and I quote, stated that I think that someone's weight or the outward appearance is an indicator of their character. So, because you're slim built, and I read a lot of the things you said, I'm going to say your character is that of a jerk, okay? And I normally don't judge by mere appearance, but that's what you do, so I'm going to meet you at your level, okay? And I want you to look at me. I want you to look at me because I am human. I have feelings, and I speak. For the plus size community, we're not saying and we're not disagreeing with you that we shouldn't take care of ourselves. We're not saying that we shouldn't acquire a healthier lifestyle. We're not discrediting that at all. We're saying to accept yourself who you are today in five months or 10 months. You may be a different person, but does that mean that you don't deserve love? Does that mean you have the right to judge me and ridicule me because I'm a size 12? Does that mean I'm ugly? Beauty comes from within, and I am not insecure. As a matter of fact, I'm one of the most confident people you will ever meet. Again, look at me. Can I say one more thing? Yes, please. What I want you to address, instead of hiding behind fictional beliefs, false beliefs, what I want you to address is whether you're willing to rethink fat shaming. As long as they are willing to accept that fat acceptance is going to cause additional health problems for millions of people and shorten lifespans, then I would also think about the feelings that I am hurting. Roosh. I think you've got a complete ass backwards. The way we get wonderful people to be who they want to be is get them to accept themselves and the weight will come off. I believe that the reason we hold on to so much fat is because it protects us. And if you're attacking women and children and maybe men, although I haven't seen the fat shaming, because in my heart I think you're misogynist. I really don't think we're going to get there. This is your homework. These are all the papers. I pulled them for you. They're on the web. You know, what you owe me back for this conversation, because I'm trying to help you, is just go through it and find one supported bit of evidence. Now, in addition, you're welcome to leave if you want, but we spent a lot of time to prepare something. I can stay and talk. Stay. Because what I'm trying to do, and this is for everybody out right there, you know, because I do think you're the problem, but I think it's fixable. At its very core, folks, bullies try to steal your power because they have none. So I want you to take back that power. I'm starting today an army to change the words so we can change the conversation. You're going to watch a video. It's, I feel, incredibly compelling. If you feel like circulating it, do it, but at least take it to heart. Watch. Words matter. Don't call me fat. Don't call me skinny. Call us strong. Don't judge me by what I look like on the outside because I'm all about being healthy on the inside. I don't go to the gym to look good for other people. I do it for myself. Think before you call someone fat, because weight shaming doesn't make anyone thinner. It just makes you small. Start using body positive language about yourself and others. Join the movement and be body positive. Thank you for watching. Don't forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss out on new videos to live the good life.