Hello, I have not been on this board in quite some time but I thought of sharing this article on this site when I read it and sharing my thoughts on the subject.
`Kudos to Yoplait,' Says
National Eating Disorders Association
Company Agrees to Remove Troubling
Advertising Campaign From the Air
SEATTLE — June 14, 2011 — For Immediate Release — The National Eating DisordersAssociation (NEDA) applauds Yoplait and parent company General Mills for their sensitivity in agreeing to remove an advertising campaign that many felt had
negative implications for people suffering from eating disorders or those with a pre-disposition to developing such an illness.
According to Lynn Grefe, president and CEO of NEDA – after conversations with General Mills executives Eric Galler, vice president of marketing, Yoplait, and Jeff Hagen, director of consumer services – the company agreed to discontinue the concerning ad campaign, which contained language NEDA says is a trigger for those most vulnerable. Due to advertising buys, however, the spot may continue to be seen in some markets over the next few weeks, but will be pulled as quickly as possible according to the company.
Commented Grefe, "The language in this advertising campaign was seriously
problematic for those affected by eating disorders and anyone who may have a predisposition towards developing one. We applaud Yoplait and General Mills for taking the time to speak with us, listening to our concerns and their quick action to provide a solution. I believe the company had no intent to harm and gained insight into a very serious issue that we hope will influence their marketing decisions in the future. Congratulations to any and all who may have written to the company with concerns. And thank you again, Yoplait and General Mills, for assuming a leadership role in corporate responsibility and accountability."
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MY THOUGHTS
I think the ads are troubling and are glad that NEDA brought attention to topic- however I also find that these ads are everywhere and a lot more subtle than people think. The Yoplait ad was pretty blatant with eating disorder thoughts but I think we are all under a more powerful indirect influence of the media's standards and ideals. More often than not there are commercials and ads hinting at conforming to a certain ideal and not directly saying it as such. There are also a lot of messages that warn that not fitting into a picture perfect standard of thinness and beauty has horrible consequences including rejection and loss of social status.
I think it’s also important to think about what creates the media and it’d standards- it’s those selling the products but also the demand we create as consumers. I think we perpetuate the ideals portrayed in the ads in the choices we make and the tone of conversations we have. By being shamed by how much we weigh or being praised or praising others for someone losing weight we create and maintain a sense of normalcy around body shame.