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Myths about
Cari Corbet-Owen

Unfortunately, one of the pitfalls of becoming a so-called 'public' figure is that you find all sorts of very interesting things written about yourself and your work. Things that often aren't true at all! Things that are myths.

I love dispelling myths.

Cari has been on Oprah

Now maybe, just maybe there is another Cari Corbet-Owen out there who looks just like me...but until I know that for sure here's some info to correct any mis-perceptions.

I was recently dismayed to receive a copy of a brochure of 'class schedules' in which it was advertised that I would be running an 8-week Ditch diets and Live lite! course which contained a blatant untruth. The very last line read: "She has also appeared on the 'Oprah' show." and then (even more dismaying) in small letters under the picture is said: "Picture and quote from website."

That's not true: The Cari Corbet-Owen I know has NOT been on the Oprah show and nor was that quote taken from any website I've had anything to do with.

Here's what is true relative to Oprah

O magazine has published an
extract from my book

I have been fortunate enough to have had an extract from my second book (Mind over Fatter - learn to feel great without ever dieting again chosen by the South African 'O magazine' to be published in the issue pictured here, their December 2007 edition. It's the same book republished under the title: The Joy-Filled Body: Eat! Play! and Live Light!

You can download a part of the chapter they chose here:

Oprah has formed a part of
my 'writing' team

In a strange and rather amazing way, Oprah was on my 'writing team' of people who were intimately involved in helping me write this book. I've written about how this incredible happening in the foreword.

My work has often been
linked in some way to Oprah

I have had a newspaper article written about my weight loss work in which a picture of Oprah appeared. Not by my choice or request- that was simply the spin the journalist decided to put on it.

I have had articles published in the 'O magazine' and been used as a so-called 'expert source' and quoted for articles in their magazine.

I've also been told by too many people to count that I'll one day be on Oprah... and oh my isn't that everyone's dream? To have the work they are passionate about recognized by Oprah? So, yes I'd LOVE to one day be on her show. I'm a great fan of the work she does which was why I dedicated The Mind over Fatter Programme to her.

You can download the chapter about my personal journey here.

And if you want an overview of the Mind over Fatter roadmap you'll find it here.

Cari is a Dietican

It's simply amazing how many journalists and TV/radio producers insist (despite my correcting them and even sending them my resume) that Cari Corbet-Owen is a dietican or nutrionalist.

I am NOT a dietican or nutritionalist. I'm a clinical PSYCHOLOGIST with a special passion for food,eating and body issues.

The Cari Corbet-Owen I know was the consulting psychologist to SANEP - the South African Nutrition Experts Panel. But that doesn't make me a dietican!

To be truthful, I've read so many diet books and books on nutrition that I hope I have a fairly good working knowledge about food and nutrition. But, I don't speak about the nutrient value of food except in very broad term like when I talk about diet foods and food myths.

I leave that up to nutritional experts. As far as I'm concerned the nutritional value of food is an ever-changing minefield that the Cari Corbet-Owen I know is most definitely NOT qualified to speak about.

Another myth about Cari

In 2007 a journalist writing for an Afrikaans paper (that's one of our 11 official languages in South Africa) wrote that the Mind over Fatter Programme had been approved by the Science Institute of South Africa.

The Cari Corbet-Owen I look at every day in my mirror has never made such a claim.

Here's a direct quote of what I did write in the 'Thanks and acknowledgement page' of the Mind over Fatter Programme:

"I'd also like to thank the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town for verifying and supplying me with information and Prof. Tessa van der Merwe MBCHB (Honorary secretary for the International Association for study of Obesity) for reading chapter 21 (which is about basic food guidelines) and declaring it "scientifically sound."

For more about Cari

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