The clothing store Forever 21 received an outpouring of hate on social media this week after many Twitter users spoke out after finding Atkins diet bar samples in their online order packages.
I went from a size 24 to 18, still a plus size girl, so I ordered jeans from Opened the package, when I looked inside I see this Atkins bar. What are you trying to Tell me Forever 21, Iâm FAT, LOSE WEIGHT? do you give these to NON-PLUS SIZE WOMEN as well?
â MissGGđłïžâđ (@MissGirlGames)
Forever 21 really put a fucking diet bar in with my plus size clothing order...I fucking canât. đĄ
â âšđKat Ravioliđâš (@PinkMaggitKat)
Many of the tweets included photos of the unsolicited lemon flavoured bar. Itâs packaging boasted that it contained one gram of sugar and that it the bar suits a âlow carb lifestyle.â
Initially the clothing brand was accused of targeting their customers whoâd ordered from the brandâs plus-sized collection.
One person who received the diet bar said theyâd ordered new jeans from the plus-size collection as theyâd gone down from a size 24 to an 18. They were shocked to have received the diet bar with their order.
âWhat are you trying to Tell me Forever 21?â @MissGirlGames asked in their tweet. âDo you give these to non-plus size women as well?â
i just bought a bunch of xs/s clothes and got one too, i don't think its anything personal..
â kec đŠ (@stxrkid)
Not everyone found an issue with the diet bar samples. Some came to the clothing companyâs defence and pointed out that theyâd received the diet bar with their online orders from Forever 21âs other collections too.
One Twitter user, @TheNailasaurus, to @PinkMiggitKatâs angry tweet and said that while they donât agree with the company soliciting diet bars, they donât think the outrage was warranted.
âObviously this brand has paid for this legit form of marketing for their product to go in every F21 order. It has zero to do with what size clothes you ordered,â said @TheNailasaurus.
@PinkMiggitKat saying that no matter the intention, the bars shouldnât have been sent with clothing as it could have a negative effect on people with eating disorders.
Others agreed that the diet bars could have a harmful effect on those who received them.
â[Itâs] completely catching customers off guard with [a] distasteful implied message to lose weight,â wrote @bronze_bombSHEL in a tweet.
If this is indeed a brand partnership between you + Atkins Iâd strongly suggest you reevaluate it Not only is it coming off as discriminatory but it isnât even rolled out well - Its completely catching customers off guard with distasteful implied message to lose weight
â Shelby Ivey Christie (@bronze_bombSHEL)
What the hell, ?? Not only is this incredibly fatphobic, but sending diet bars unsolicited is down right harmful to the customers & could negatively impact anyone with a ED. This is beyond disgusting. Stop forcing diet culture down peoples throats.
â Destiny âïžâđŒ (@thefatauthor)
Forever 21 issued a statement later in the week saying that the bars were indeed sent with all orders, not just those form the plus-size collection. The company occasionally sends âfree test productsâ from third party companies to their customers, they wrote in the statement.
Twitter user @bitchenboutique that the company saying the bars were sent to everyone doesnât regulate the situation because they feel it sounds like the company is saying everyone needs to lose weight.
The companyâs statement went on to say the bars wonât be sent out anymore and that sending them was an âoversight.â
âWe sincerely apologize for any offence this may have caused,â they wrote.
devon.bidal@saanichnews.com
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