In the last few years we have seen a scary rise in the marriage of celebrity and diet/detox endorsement. There's little to no information about the side effects or main ingredients, the harm they may cause or any of the science behind how these products are supposed to work. They are instead, flogged in glossy paid adverts by celebrities and influencers with no expertise or authority in nutrition/medicine/biology. 

Quick-fix weight loss is never the answer and the risks far outweigh the benefits. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Celebrities who promote and endorse weight loss aids for payment, do so because brands have realised how influential their posts are with young people. As reported by the BBC, top doctors are now asking that celebrity ads for diet aids be banned by social media companies.  

Powder over the internet cant make you look like a celebrity who has a personal trainer, a chef, a surgeon and who uses photoshop. This is false and irresponsible advertising and it is part of a pervasive and disturbing rhetoric that preys upon eating disordered behaviour and the new trend of “quick fix” that relies upon a naive and vulnerable customer who is not educated as to the full list of health implications these products and diet restrictions can bring. I'm calling on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat to stop these being posted by celebrities. 

We put the health risks on cigarettes and all drugs, and yet nobody is forced to do the same with these products, in spite of thousands of medical professionals speaking out about the harm and pseudo-science of it all. Please help me take the first step in dismantling this nonsense new culture by stopping those with the most influence from being able to freely spread lies and irresponsible, ignorant nonsense, to their vulnerable young followers. 

With eating disorder numbers at an all time high, and as a former teenage anorexic who was very much so influenced by celebrities, I understand the importance of having good people around you. Thats why in 2018 I created The I Weigh Community which values people on their their achievements and attributes rather than what they weigh or how they look. It aims to make connections and be an ally to other activists and communities.

Join our revolution against shame - Please share the petition with the hashtag #nomoredetoxscams on social media and sign up to www.iweighcommunity.com