Facebook has ditched its “feeling fat” status option after more than 16,000 people signed an online petition calling for its removal.
Catherine Weingarten of the group Endangered Bodies launched the Change.org petition demanding that Facebook remove the “feeling fat” status update, illustrated by a chubby-cheeked emoji.
“Fat is not a feeling,” she wrote in the petition signed by 16,771 people. “Fat is a natural part of our bodies, no matter their weight. And all bodies deserve to be respected and cared for.”
As the most popular social media site in the world, Facebook “has the power to influence how we talk to each other about our bodies,” Weingarten wrote.
This week, Facebook users noticed that “feeling fat” has been replaced with “feeling stuffed,” next to the same chubby emoji.
In a statement, Facebook said: “We’ve heard from our community that listing ‘feeling fat’ as an option for status updates could reinforce negative body image, particularly for people struggling with eating disorders.”
The social network added that it will “continue to listen to feedback” from users.
Many are applauding the change, but a counter-movement seems to already be in the works. There is now a “Bring back the Feeling Fat emoji” Facebook page.
