Is A "Feeling Fat" Emoji Offensive?
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Do you ever feel fat? Duh. Are you human? The inevitable answer is why Facebook lets you choose a chubby-cheeked smily face with a double chin emoji to describe your current state. But many disagree and argue that “fat” isn’t a feeling and should be removed from the social media platform.
A group of body image activists have launched a petition on change.org to remove the emoticon, which is about one of 100. Catherine Weingarten of Endangered Bodies, an organization that aims to “challenge the current toxic culture that promotes negative body image,” posted the appeal last week and has since received more than 15,000 signatures in support.
"I have spent years of my life consumed with negative thoughts about my body, and far too many days starving myself in an effort to lose weight. But even worse than the skipped meals and the hours spent obsessing in front of the mirror was the fear of what others thought about me and my body," Weingarten wrote. "When Facebook users set their status to “feeling fat,” they are making fun of people who consider themselves to be overweight, which can include many people with eating disorders." The 24-year-old graduate student at Ohio State University explained that fat is, in fact, not a feeling, and is a natural part of the body, regardless of one’s weight. Additionally, if someone has struggled or is struggling with an eating disorder, seeing the “feeling fat” smiley face on their newsfeed could trigger dangerous thoughts and actions.
In response, Facebook released a statement saying that people use the social network to express their feelings — no matter what they may be — to friends and family, often times searching for support. “One option we give people to express themselves is to add a feeling to their posts. You can choose from over 100 feelings we offer based on people’s input or create your own.” Facebook also encourages their users to seek help for friends and have partnered with the National Eating Disorders Association to provide resources to those struggling with eating disorders.
Facebook has no plans to remove the cherubic yellow face from its feelings options and plenty of the site’s 890 million daily users do think that fat counts as a feeling. I might not have a history of eating disorders, but there are days when my jeans don’t button and I do in fact feel unfit, which really has nothing to do with anyone else, whether they’re larger or smaller than I. Maybe we all have a lot to learn. Or maybe it’s just an emoji.
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