Wellness Wednesday - Discussion - Pinterest bans weight loss ads

Have a quick look at this article (it'll take 1 minute to read) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jul/02/bye-bye-bmi-pinterest-bans-weight-loss-ads-in-first-for-major-social-networks

What are your thoughts?

I'm often in two minds about whether big companies should be responsible for this kind of stuff, but seeing as they've chosen to do it I think it's a positive step.

Well, there are so many angles and frameworks from which to evaluate this decision by Pinterest, but I'll note that they are only trying to ban the most egregious ads and posts that only focus on the questionable equation that low weight = healthy or that higher than average weight = unhealthy.

BMI alone has long been questioned as a measure of healthy body composition. It persists because it is easy to calculate and report. Even my doctor's office is still using it .... or they were. I noticed that it was finally absent from a post-exam summary this spring when I went in for an ear infection.

I noticed some recent (medical) journal articles have begun questioning the supposed links between higher weight and adverse health conditions. Medical researchers are finally starting to question some of the assumptions of the profession .... if they are not sure what the relationship between weight and health is ... how can the average person evaluate company claims??

So, I am glad that at least one company is trying to reduce the worst of the abuses of advertising.

It seems like a choice that takes into account the userbase's wishes versus ad revenues. This isn't about the validity of health claims imo. Platforms like Instagram or TikTok in particular that rely on user-generated content often including the user's likeness will be more amenable to those kind of ads.

This is my own opinion and how I practice. Feel free to dissagree. I don't do commercials. As a family, we do not watch telivision or shows or surf the net. We are on but we dont dwell there. In this age, me and the wife get calls all the time for solititations. We ask directly, what are you asking for? I think it is rude to ask people for money all the time. If we knew people who asked us for money all the time every 15 minutes every day, almost ten times a break, we wouldn't be friends.There would be NO relationship. I don't like the way some think platforms have all the answers. They don't. All they do is commercial you to death aka ask you for money. I am healthy. We maintain a healthy status as often as we can by our own practices. Help is good but does it come with a price from social media? We don't listen to commercials and we certainly don't think the internet is the place to stay too often, espacially for information that is basically a sales pitch or a commercial. I do not need some one to tell me whats trendy or what every one is doing. I see it with my own two eyes. I choose not to social media for this very reason. Asking for money every minute on the minute can takle its toll, so be wise too. Compassion fatigue is more than just, "I care too much." It can also be, "I don't care enough."
Companies and responsibilites fall under a strange catagory, what ya selling and can ya sell it a lot. They really don't care about you, just your money. To quote the late great, " They dont really care BOUT US.." Micheal Jackson. Hope this helps a bit. Its never the intention to harm or even throw any one off but I dislike social media and how much I consumed the net. Thats why I do the Kitty pause thing. I am on facebook and pintrest and for the most part, its a platform I and my wife have found OTHER people with similar ideas and common themes. The less you surf, the less your liable to get more advertisments. If ya dont know where your going, there is a very good chance to get lost. Nets no different for our family. I don't frequesnt places that tell me to lose weight or even people who do that in real life but.... we as a family have made a few diffrent choices any one can. Happy seeking. May the Force be with you still and May you find it where you seek.

I'm not a fan of ads either Carlos... I don't have social media profiles and I pay for services which mean I don't have ads. But I know that for many social media is an ingrained part of their life. I think it takes some time to develop a strong enough sense of self and confidence about oneself to understand the effect social media can have on a person's self esteem. Teenagers are particularly at risk of taking everything they see to heart because they don't have the experience to see through it, or understand how little it matters. I applaud pinterest for realising the harm that weight loss ads can have.