Something is happening! Pinterest has changed its terms of use to no longer display weight loss ads on the platform #nosizefitsall
Aesthetic photos, art, interior design tips, and recipes – that’s what Pinterest is known for. What you put together for yourself on your personal pinboard is a way of life. The colorful, pastel world of Pinterest is a safe place for many. Body shaming and diet culture have no place there – just like everywhere else. The platform is taking a first step in the right direction by banning advertisements relating to weight loss. Such as, toxic ads that promise to help you lose weight with some type of powder or quick fix.
First Step: Put an end to diet advertising
If you’ve been affected by an eating disorder yourself and reflected on it, then you’re aware that any advertisement for products that promise weight loss can be triggering. These ads suggest that you can’t be beautiful and successful unless you’re thin. The fact that a major platform like Pinterest acknowledges this fact is definitely progress. Of course, this won’t change the world overnight, but we humans orient ourselves to viewing habits and public debates. That is why it is important that large corporations, media conglomerates and social media platforms address body shaming to refrain from creating and passing on harmful information and content to their customers and readers. This is the only way to change our way of thinking in the long-term.
“Pinterest is committed to building a safe and inspiring space for all our users. That means looking at ways we can evolve our policies for the better. We want to champion content that celebrates body neutrality and acceptance, so you can focus on finding inspiration to create a life you love.”
#nosizefitsall
In our minds, eating disorders are mostly linked to people with thin, frail bodies. However, people who are overweight can also suffer from an eating disorder and that illness is often linked to a social pressure of looking a certain way that is exerted on most, if not all individuals. Health is something very personal and unique to each individual. Just because something is not obviously recognizable as a disease does not mean that the person affected does not suffer from it.
It’s time that we deal with each other and with ourselves in a more understanding, compassionate and attentive way. It doesn’t matter whether it’s in the family, among friends, or even through a large social media platform with its users. By consciously deciding against profiting money from the diet culture industry, Pinterest is taking a huge step in the right direction by eliminating weight loss ads from the picture.
We don’t support any sort of diet culture or form of body shaming and we’re glad that Pinterest is taking the initiative to eradicate the toxic and unrealistic beauty standards that diet culture promotes!
If you’re interested in reading about self-love and confidence click here!
