Fat Is Not A Feeling! Facebook Gets Rid Of The 'Fat' Emoticon

We all have our good and bad days. Bad hair days, those days when you put on your skinny jeans and they fit perfectly and then there are the days when you just don't feel like yourself. 

A campaign, which started on change.org, was launched recently to get Facebook to remove the emoticon that allowed users to say that they were 'feeling fat', their argument being that fat was not a "feeling". 

The cause that was supported by a number of body-image activists and groups who felt that it was unfair and Facebook has reacted to the criticism.

The emoticon showed a face with chubby cheeks and a double chin, and Catherine Weingarten (who started the movement) stated "I think it was supposed to be funny, but seeing this status made me feel angry. As someone who has struggled with and overcome disordered eating, I know what it’s like to “feel” fat. 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...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 petition garnered over 16,000 signatures, and as a result Facebook have decided to change the wording and will now offer users the chance to say instead that they are feeling 'stuffed'. 

In a statement, a Facebook spokesperson 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, So we’re going to remove 'feeling fat' from the list of options. We’ll continue to listen to feedback as we think about ways to help people express themselves on Facebook."

Do you think this is a bit of an overreaction or was Catherine Weingarten right to be angry? Have you used the emoticon in the past? Would you be offended if somebody did? How do you react when a friend says they are having a 'fat day'?

Via Mashable