Thanks to Oprah’s managed daily bread cravings, shareholders of Weight Watchers gained $5.6 million for every pound the TV host lost

A Twitter post of a video by TV host Oprah Winfrey sent stocks of Weight Watchers soaring on Tuesday. Hours after the talk show host shared that she lost 26 pounds despite eating bread daily forthe past few weeks, share prices of Weight Watchers jumped 20 percent.

In the video, Oprah is quoted as saying, “I love bread. I love bread.” The 61-year-old celebrity explains, “I just manage it, so I don’t deny myself bread, I have bread every day.”

The market value of Weight Watchers increased to almost $150 million (AUD$213.3 million) which translates into a $5.6 million (AUD$8 million) gain for the company for every pound that Oprah lost, reports CNN. It is not the first time that Oprah has caused the firm's share price to go up. In October, when she acquired a 10 percent stake for $43 million (AUD$61 million), the company’s value doubled.

The TV host buy-in spelt good news for the diet giant which was “facing its darkest year in decades,” notes Drew Harwell of The Washington Post. Part of the acquisition deal was for Oprah to use the mobile app of Weight Watchers, work with a coach from the company and make appearances on its behalf.

And her Tuesday appearance, less 26 pounds, boosted not only the value of Weight Watchers but also its credibility as health companies battle for a larger slice of the fitness and wellness market by offering fitness apps, food fads and different approaches to slimming without resorting to traditional methods such as dieting.

Oprah’s weight loss is still possible even if she eats bread every day, says Keri Glassman, dietician and founder of Nutrition School. However, it should be one slice of a whole grain bread and with no added sugar, plus the bulk of her other meals should be vegetables, lean protein and healthy fat.

In another Weight Watchers video, Oprah says she eats 7-grain, 9-grain or 12-grain seed bread, depending on what she can find. Glassman explains that the type of bread eaten is a factor to consider for people who want to lose weight on a bread diet, reports People.

Although there are conflicting opinions as to whether eating bread is better in the morning or at night, for Glassman, it is easier to portion control and pick the right variety if bread is eaten for breakfast than dinner. This is the case too for Oprah, who takes a turkey toast bread with avocado and tomato in the morning.

“I don’t have to have bread anymore during the day because I have it in the morning, without fail. I just love it,” she says.