HEALTH

While most FB users probably didn’t think much of the icon before, the popular social media website has recently received some serious criticism from a petition that claimed that the emoticon was encouraging those with eating disorders and contributing to problems with body shaming.

Endangered Bodies member Catherine Weingarten initiated the campaign through Change.org, an organization that allows users to start and share petitions, gathering signatures from other like-minded individuals. This particular crusade was able to reach over 16,000 signatures, showing that Catherine's complaint had a lot of support. With a main goal of getting the icon removed to promote more positive “body talk,” the campaign's motivational stance was, “Fat is not a feeling.”

After realizing that the emoticon had received such a negative response, Facebook released a statement this past week saying, “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."

While Webster’s Dictionary does not recognize “fat” as a feeling, "feeling fat" has commonly been used to share thoughts with friends, particularly after a large meal of frozen yogurt or pizza with all the toppings. But now, if you care to dish on your food baby through emojis, your only option is “feeling stuffed,” which was Facebook’s way of eliminating controversy and allowing the emoticon to still be an option.

In the end, we're all for positive self image and applaud the efforts of Change.org and all women who are seeking to make the web world a better and kinder place.

How did you babes feel when you first saw the emoji? Share in the comments below.

Photo courtsey of: Change.org

We want to hear from you! Send us your weirdest body questions here (seriously, we'll answer anything!) and it just might get featured.

by Alexa Matthews | 2/1/2016