As women, we are bombarded with an ideal every day. A size 6. A tiny waist with a Kim K behind. Every few posts, we are faced with goddess-like celebrities, individuals whose bodies we have always deemed unobtainable. Yet suddenly we are promised a way that we too can look like them! Scrolling through social media, dieting companies offer us the latest pills, shakes, or detox teas, worryingly also available in supermarkets and drug stores. Society has an unhealthy obsession with weight loss, and I’m as guilty as anyone else for falling into their trap (FYI – I’ve tried the tea, it gives you heart palpitations. Would. Not. Recommend). Enter blogger Charlotte Rollin (@_charlottesweb).
Charlotte is a keen blogger and Instagrammer who entertains her 3000 strong following by expressing her love of travel, creativity, fashion and, most importantly, promoting the subject of mental health. Her page is refreshingly honest and bright, so when she was approached by a dieting company to promote their shakes, she fought back in a pretty epic way.
Charlotte took to her Twitter (@_charl0ttesweb) to express a now viral message, one that touched my heart in particular. Charlotte expressed the companies’ lack of research into their potential ‘ambassador’ – Rollin suffered with anorexia for a number of years. Though now well, Charlotte expressed the danger these companies present to young women and highlighted their irresponsibility in contacting her:
“I would hate for a similar email to reach someone else who was in a more difficult headspace and for it to trigger a relapse or further disordered behaviour.”
Charlotte’s experience has sparked a much needed discussion around eating disorders, dieting culture, and the companies who profit from this. My conclusion? The companies that sell these products care about an image and just that – the superficial, not the individual. My advice? Scroll past the next weight loss ad with ease, be happy being you, not somebody else.
Bethany Goodman
Featured image courtesy of @_charlottesweb on Instagram.
Main images of @_charlottesweb on Instagram and @_charl0ttesweb on Twitter.
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