Facebook removes its “feeling fat” emoticon following user backlash

Who knew a chubby emoticon would become such a headache for Facebook. The social network decided to remove its “feeling fat” fat emoticon after more than 16,000 people signed a petition to have it removed on the grounds that it promoted body-shaming. Catherine Weingarten of Endangered Bodies, the one who formed the petition, expressed her joy that Facebook listened to its userbase and removed the emoticon. 

Facebook has removed a controversial “feeling fat” emoticon after thousands complained that it promoted body-shaming. The emoticon, which featured chubby cheeks and a double chin, was previously listed as an option for status updates. It came under fire recently thanks to a Change.org petition from Catherine Weingarten of Endangered Bodies, a group that aims to “challenge the current toxic culture that promotes negative body image.” Weingarten argued — and many agreed — that “fat is not a feeling” but a natural part of our bodies, and all bodies deserve to be respected. “As someone who has struggled with and overcome disordered eating, I know what it’s like to ‘feel’ fat,” she wrote in the petition. “I have spent years of my life consumed with negative thoughts about my body, and far too many days starving myself in an effort to lose weight.”