Demi Lovato took a dig at Instagram for allowing a fat-shaming ad for a mobile app “Game of Sultans” that features two female characters, one called “obese”, with another dubbed “pretty”.
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Lovato, who herself suffered from bulimia in the past, shared several Insta stories, to slam the clear message from the ad suggesting that only thin women can be considered pretty.
“This is absolutely harmful to anyone who is easily influenced by societal pressures put on us from the diet culture to constantly be losing weight in a word that teaches us to equate our value and worth with the way we look and especially anyone in recovery from an eating disorder. Especially when eating disorders are all about ‘control’”, she wrote.
Just called out Instagram and some bullshit game on my insta stories.. go check it out. Always speak up for what you believe in!
— Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) 4 January 2019
In another story she directly called out the photo-sharing platform for allowing the “disgusting” ad to emerge on users’ feeds:
“Please Instagram, keep this bullsh*t off mine and other’s feeds who could easily be effected [sic] by this disgusting advertisement. With how aware people are becoming of mental health and mental illness, I expect you guys to know better by allowing this advertisement to be on your app. And shame on the game”.
Demi Lovato doesn‘t get enough credit in the world. pic.twitter.com/bL9mM58KoK
— ❤️ємιℓу❤️ (@SmokeNMirrors__) 4 January 2019
After Lovato tweeted about her anti-fat-shaming rant, her fans flooded social media, praising her for speaking out and shedding light on the internet’s pernicious influence on people’s self-esteem:
Demi Lovato spoke about the fat shaming Sultan app game! FINALLY SOMEONE NOTICED!
— ｍｉｔｋｏ (@proxima_butera) 4 January 2019
YES, @ddlovato! 👏 Calling out Instagram‘s harmful ads and a toxic game. STOP selling us fat shaming nonsense that is insensitive to mental health! Social media influences people SO easily and games like this just perpetuate the lie that our weight determines our worth. pic.twitter.com/7rlB9Rilua
— Emily (@EmilyBashforth) 4 January 2019
Disgusting add. We need more people like @ddlovato saying this and pointing out the awfulness that is fat shaming https://t.co/njY5EXvfqY
— Megan Amanda (@MeganAmanda8) 4 January 2019
ICYMI, Demi Lovato is a damn QUEEN! Thank you @ddlovato for speaking out against fat shaming and eating disorders. @instagram do better. 😒 pic.twitter.com/m33k3GCku4
— Femestella (@femestella) 4 January 2019
Some, however, said that it’s time to stop telling young women and girls that being obese is pretty:
Okay but no. Being obese is not pretty, it’s unhealthy. Stop telling young girls that it’s okay to be fat. It isn’t. Obese people are disgusting and need to change their life
— Em (@doesanythingmat) 5 January 2019
You must be fat and sensitive about it. Just lose weight and stay off social media.
— dream big (@nonstopdreamin) 4 January 2019
Pretty? Maybe, but not healthy, fat people is wrong pic.twitter.com/Cf1xIJ4MrW
— Andrés López Elías (@AndresLopezElia) 4 January 2019
Instagram apologised and told TMZ that the advertisement violated its terms and would be removed.
“We’re sorry. This ad was approved by mistake. We reviewed it again and removed it from future delivery in people’s feeds”.
For many years, Lovato has been open about her fight to overcome bulimia, and has been a vocal supporter for those struggling with eating disorders.
