It's no secret that the past fifteen months or so have been hard on everybody. Some folks are lucky enough to see their communities in-person again, but with that may come some pressure to look a certain way.
You shouldn't feel ashamed of any pounds you might've put on while in quarantine, and that's why Pinterest will no longer tolerate any content that even does so much as hint at negative or discouraging messages regarding body image.
Pinterest Wants You to Accept and Love Your Body
According to a post on Pinterest Newsroom, as of July 1, 2021, all ads with weight loss language and imagery are banned from Pinterest. This includes ads that idealize or denigrates certain body types, or reference body mass index (BMI) or similar indexes.
This stance makes Pinterest the only major platform to prohibit all weight loss ads. (...) We encourage others in the industry to do the same and acknowledge, once and for all, that there's no such thing as one-size-fits-all.
Prior to this, Pinterest already had rules in place that prohibited the promotion of weight loss products, before-and-after weight loss images, body shaming imagery, etc.
However, advertisers could tiptoe around them, as long as they used clever phrasing or design to market their products and services. That's no longer the case—the image-sharing site is now really putting its foot down.
Pinterest says the new policies were developed with the help of the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), a nonprofit dedicated to preventing, providing treatment referrals for, and educating people about eating disorders.
"NEDA is encouraged by this necessary step in prioritizing the mental health and well-being of Pinners, especially those impacted by diet culture, body shaming, and eating disorders," said Elizabeth Thompson, NEDA's Interim CEO.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, NEDA has reportedly seen an increase in activity on its helpline, which the Pinterest cites as the catalyst for its radical policy changes.
Combating Negative Body Image On Social Media
While it's true that Pinterest is the first major social media platform to put a hard stop to weight loss related content, it isn't the first one to ever speak up about the problems some people face when it comes to body image and mental health.
During National Eating Disorders Awareness Week in late February, TikTok and Instagram added body image resources in their apps for users that search for terms related to eating disorders.
If you or anyone you know is in need of support for these issues, consider viewing resources like NEDA's official website, or contacting your local healthcare professional.
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