Are you a better person when you are skinny? Of course not. That’s the flaw in weight loss advertising. In order to encourage people to make a change in their life companies must attract their customers to becoming a skinnier version of themselves. When excessive praise is placed on being thin a disproportionate amount of criticism is dumped upon being overweight.
For example, the self-labeled “diet” food Special K has launched a new campaign called “What Will You Gain When You Lose?” Obviously they want to encourage people to be happy rather than living life chained to a number, but the message really gets confused when you view their image gallery of mostly paid participants as they describe what skinny people are privileged to experience.
Can someone who isn’t skinny experience peace, delight, pep, pride, sex appeal, or contentment about who they are? Of course they can, but that’s the problem with Kellogg’s advertising message or any weight loss pitch. Lose the weight and you’ve earned the right to feel happy about who you are…
Rather than piling praise upon being thin it would be more appropriate to focus on the benefits of weight loss like curing diabetes, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, and even longer life. Losing weight just so you can have “pizzaz” is a shallow reason to start a diet. Do it for your own health and do it for the ones you love.
Obesity is a lifestyle problem, not a reflection of who you are. Don’t let advertisers tell you what you can and can not experience based on how you look or what you weigh.
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