So, T Nation/Biotest makes these little vids for social media. They very effective for us. Most social platforms (Facebook, IG, TikTok, X, etc.) allow you to promote your videos – a paid boost. This one below was rejected for promotion for “fat shaming” and “idealized body image.”
What do you think?
I’ll say it DOES promote an idealized body image…but I don’t understand the negative of that. We’ve promoted that since the ancient Greeks, and beyond I’m sure. Societies always promote an idealize version of humans, because it helps us have a vector to strive for. We also have idealized levels of education, manners, style of dress, etc.
I don’t see the fat shaming element. It didn’t say it was wrong to be fat: it simply explained how people get there. And it was right. Hunger is the body saying “give me nutrients dummy!” and we respond by giving it “non-food” and then wondering why we’re hungry 30 minutes later. Because we never gave it nutrients dummy!
I’ve heard from some of our coaches about this, too. Like they’ll come up with ab-training program and make a video for it. But the social platforms won’t let them promote it because “idealized body image.” (They can post it, but just can’t buy a boost, just to be clear.)
But make a video about how it’s natural and glorious to be obese and they’ll get it into the algorithm.
Makes me wonder how make-up brands comply. I mean, if your product makes lips look fuller, doesn’t that imply that thin lips are unattractive and make people feel bad about the way they look? How dare they shame my thin lips! 
I’d hate to be somebody that has to communicate professionally these days.
The game seems to be that if you don’t say something positive about [subject] then you must by default hold a position against it.
Its being held to account for what you didn’t say.
And complete nonsense.
The trick is to use fat models or people who they describe as not “classically” beautiful like a woman with extreme vitiligo.
I find this part interesting:
The waist measurement if the most reliable overall health and longevity metric. But it can’t be used because it may make some people feel bad.
Now I’m wondering about smoking cessation products. Is showing blackened lungs harmful to a smoker’s self image? But those images worked to reduce the smoking rate. Is obesity not also a health problem? Hmmm. 
Some of the images have a real negative feel.
The ice cream eating girl is sad and hiding in the dark.
The fat guy is so frustrated he feels the compulsion to eat the cheeseburger that he’s screaming in frustration.
The fat lady looks like she is about to shit her pants.
Related:
FYI, “DEI” stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Now, I like the idea of fitness clothing companies showing some people who are working on it. And hey, they need workout clothes, too, so it’s good marketing.
Where it gets weird is when brands feel they can’t show a fit person because “idealized body image” or “fat shaming.” They could boost the video of the overweight woman. Would they be allowed to boost the same video with a super-fit woman? Murky waters.
I only noticed the burger guy and thought “oh, yeah, I see the problem.” Imagine my shock when it was the fit guy with the measuring tape causing the problem.
I didn’t use the cheap, shitty exercise bike I bought and only used twice. My husband threw it away eventually. I don’t feel shamed when I watch Peleton ads, I feel like I want to drop thousands on an exercise bike, despite my poor history. Maybe I just needed a good bike.
It’s hard to understand the world sometimes. Policies like this seem so upside-down. And I say this as someone who doesn’t care whether weight loss is promoted or feel disgusted by overweight people. They like to eat, I like to hike. To each their own. To prevent promotion to people who do care, though…why?
So then I went to Facebook and was presented with this, which now seems very shaming of…something. Weird that these muscles are okey-dokey.
The hypocracy and ambiguity is endless in that arena.
Don’t show fit people.
But if you are fit and you’re tik-toks primarily feature your vulva- Welcome!
Pictures and words are violence- But heres a clip of somebody getting [punched, stabbed, shot].
Its completely ridiculous. I don’t have any qualms with the morality or immorality of anything, but it should at least be consistent.
I’m more surprised that they only used the fat-shaming excuse and not that you were promoting “diet culture”… you got off easy!!!
My eyes. You need to affix a warning label to that video link, Ms. Q.
Mods, punnyguy is underpants-video-shaming me!
I think I’m in some clown world nightmare and hope it will end when I wake up.
Meanwhile, you can go on YouTube and watch a video of a komodo dragon eating alive a screaming goat or pig. A goat or pig that has had its legs tied together just to get a video of it dying a slow, painful death.
Well I enjoyed it! 
And you were probably doing it wrong!
