Dieting Makes You Pretty
Kristin e-mailed to alert us about a new ad campaign for NutriSystem, which directs to the URL nutrisystem.com/ pretty. This takes you to the main NutriSystem page, reinforcing the ad’s message that NutriSystem will make you “pretty,” i.e., thin. Kristin e-mailed NutriSystem to protest:
I saw your commercial that advertised your web address as nutrisystem.com/pretty.
I’ve been fat. I’m now thin. Guess what? I was pretty when I was fat, and I’m still pretty now that I’m thin. Your ad does a huge disservice to women everywhere who are struggling with body image. We are bombarded with images of what the “perfect” woman is supposed to look like, and we are labeled failures if we don’t measure up. Your ad implies that the only way we can be “pretty” is to be a size two. These messages are especially harmful to young girls and teenagers who are already struggling with changing bodies and peer pressure.
So. Pretty? No. I think Nutrisystem is pretty ugly.
Has anyone else seen this ad and been struck by it? And will we ever put the whole fat=ugly, thin=pretty analogy to bed?
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: Advertising, Cold Hard Cash, Media, Tidbit, Weight Loss
Email us
That letter was absolutely perfect.
Please excuse the shameless self-promotion and blog pimping, but when I first started my blog (lo those 4 months ago) I posted an essay I had written about how ridiculous those weight loss “success” ads are in general. NutriSystem was the main focus (partly because one of their commercials was the catalyst for me writing the essay, partly because it’s one of the 8000 diets I’ve tried – and the most recent). It’s right here if you want to check it out.
To me “pretty” has always implied face. Which, aside from some double chin action, really has NOTHING to do with weight. So even if you are a size discriminator “pretty” isn’t the right word to use. But that’s just me.
Great letter. I followed the link and it said nothing about Nutrisystem making you “pretty,” however, there is a girl on there who is wearing a leopard-print dress.
Now, i’m not in the business of saying stuff about people because I know the fatosphere gets enough shit as it is, but I’ll just say that unless you are a leopard or Raquel Welch froom 40 years ago, there’s a good chance leopard print and high-heels might not be a “pretty” option.
I have a problem with the whole “pretty” ideal in general. I’m sorry, but I’m not “pretty”, “beautiful”,”cute” or any similar word. My beauty has nothing to do with my size or my facial features. My beauty has to do with what kind of person I am and how I interact with/treat the people around me and the people I care about. So there isn’t a whole hell of a lot that Nutrisystem (or any other diet, for that matter) can do to make me prettier (changing the size of my ass doesn’t make me a better person, just a thinner or fatter one).
“Pretty” (or any other synonym for it) is totally in the eye of the beholder. Some people, looking at me, would say I’m cute, some would say I’m plain, some might even say I’m ugly. That’s their perception of my looks, and that’s fine. They’re entitled to their opinion, but I don’t have to base my sense of self-worth on their perception of me. For any diet to to say that being pretty comes with losing weight, well, for me at least, it ain’t happening. I wasn’t any cuter/prettier/whatev when I was 175 lbs l than I am now at 375 lbs. All I am is older, wiser, and fatter, looks otherwise are about the same, given those factors.
I know I’m pretty! So many people have told me I have such a “pretty face,” if only I could lose some weight… HAHA! What a backhanded compliment. They could have stopped at “You’re pretty.”
Yesterday I resolved to stop watching dieting commercials. Every time an ad for Weight Watchers/NurtiSystem/etc. comes on, I change the channel. It’s my way of flipping off the diet industry.
Nutrisystem is the worst when it comes to diet ads. They are so insulting. I’m sure it’s the only way they can get people to join their program.
I’ve noticed the only ads they show now is the one with Jillian Barberie. I don’t see the “regular” guys and gals talking about how they can live their lives again because you know, being size 12 and up is so digusting. Maybe their awful comments touched a nerve.
First, YaY for Kristin.
And then, what Bree said. Aren’t they the same ones that ran that ad with the woman who goes to get lunch and the snotty clerk rings her up like: “That’s one order of cellulite and abandonment by your boyfriend” or something?
Yeah. No. Plus, if you read the package, it seems like those meals of theirs have a strikingly similar chemical content to some of the compounds on the makeup shelves that scientists are finally starting to admit may be carcinogenic.
Mmmm. *rubs tummy*
I’ll pass, thanks.
Sorry if I veered sort of OT, but I kind of try to avoid classifying “pretty” and “not pretty” unless I’m talking about jewelry — since all I’ve seen of the beauty standard, while hanging out on the planet for a couple of decades, is one more way to Divide and Conquer women and keep us all preoccupied so that men can get all the good organic food and reasonably priced, better tailored clothes and hog the gold standard.
Again, I’ll pass, thanks.
littlem, that was subway. i’d stopped going there because of there not-even-mediocre sandwiches long ago, but that slew of commercials sealed the deal.
i’m embarrassed that i know that.
I too followed the link and didn’t see anything explicit on the page about thinner=prettier, but if that is in fact a message they are using in their ad campaign, I have to agree with prior sentiments expressed here that it just plain doesn’t make sense.
As far as the Subway commercials go that littlem mentioned, I just have to laugh at that stuff. It’s just advertising, and I don’t really take it to heart any more than most men would some car or beer or cologne commercial promising to turn them into irresistable sex gods. No, it isn’t the greatest message, but I know they’re going to tell me anything to get me to buy their product. The unfortunate part is that teen girls watching such ads may not be quite as enlightened.
And speaking of commericals, I noticed something interesting about the one with Jillian Barberie that Bree mentioned above. It is eerily similar to a phone sex ad that’s been playing around here. Both women tout being ‘guy’s girls’ and that they love football, and isn’t that so UNUSUAL for a girl?! Because girls aren’t supposed to like football??? Tee-hee! The only difference being that one ad is selling women on the idea that they should be sexually appealing to men, and the other is selling men on, um, sex appeal. It’s pretty sick, but I just can’t take that sort of advertising message seriously anymore.
vesta44, I am so impressed. I haven’t met many 350+ lbs. women (other than myself). I think I was cuter when I was younger, but hey, I haven’t met many “ugly” kids.
I’m really annoyed at Queen Latifah. I think she is super-beautiful (so very confident, upbeat, etc.) and dared to like herself even though she was “plus size.” Now, though, she’s selling out by doing those Jenny Craig commercials. I’m very disappointed, Queen!!!
And you know, while I’m on the subject of Queen Latifah and losing weight: do any of you think some people just look better when they’re heavier? I hardly recognized Star Jones after her bariatric surgery. She was beautiful as a larger woman, but now I don’t think so.
Or am I just prejudiced against fat people who lose weight?
Rhonwyyn: “And you know, while I’m on the subject of Queen Latifah and losing weight: do any of you think some people just look better when they’re heavier? I hardly recognized Star Jones after her bariatric surgery. She was beautiful as a larger woman, but now I don’t think so.
Or am I just prejudiced against fat people who lose weight?”
No, I agree with you. I think it has to do with each person’s weight setpoint. I look at the face. If it looks healthy, then I tend to assume that the person it’s on is also healthy, regardless of weight. Look at the Shapelings in Kate’s BMI project. Their faces glow with health and radiate beauty, whether they’re “underweight” or “morbidly obese”.
OTOH, someone who is naturally supposed to be larger and has undertaken drastic and unnatural measures to bring herself down to Hollywood “normal”? Her face usually looks unhealthy and somewhat lifeless, IMO. I thought Star Jones was gorgeous before. Now she looks generic at best, IMO. Queen Latifah is a stunningly beautiful woman, and the sense that she was comfortable in her skin just added to that beauty. It would be such a shame if she lost that simply to make Hollywood happy.
I also believe some women look better heavier, and Star Jones is one of them. After she had her WLS, her face got so gaunt. She didn’t look healthy. Carnie Wilson looked great when she was big too. Renee Zellwegger is another that looks a lot pretter with meat on her bones. She just doesn’t have the facial structure and features to pull off extremely thin. I don’t know if she uses Botox (I suspect it), but when she drops weight for roles, her face looks so unnatural. Not everyone is supposed to be a walking skeleton. I’m 330+, and while this weight is considered gross by a lot of people, if I got down to a size 10 or lower, I would look sickly. My family has the big-boned fat gene and the only way we would look “appealing to society” is if we stayed on low-calorie diets for the rest of our lives. Screw that!
I don’t see anything wrong with Queen Latifah wanting to lose weight. It’s her decision. Maybe she feels that she’ll be more comfortable if she loses a few pounds.
If she’s beautiful as a larger women, she’ll still be beautiful as a smaller person. I mean, beauty comes from the inside, right?
SRGal:
if she wants to lose weight, she can lose weight, but publicly shilling for jenny craig is distasteful, and calling it “life-saving” and such is more so. by intentionally making her weight loss a public process and accomplishment, she is essentially saying “fat isn’t good enough,” not just for her, but for everyone.
I don’t know that I would call it ‘shilling’. If Jenny Craig works for her, then great! I’m 40 lbs overweight and frankly…fat isn’t good enough for me either. Although, I don’t have a problem with people who are comfortable being overweight. It’s a personal decision and deciding to be overweight isn’t wrong. It’s just not for me. And, maybe it’s not for Queen either. It’s entirely possible that her weight *is* effecting her health. I’m not saying that being overweight is unhealthy for everyone, but for some people, it might be.
I tried nutrisystem and gamely held on for about a month and a half. I liked the convenience, because I work weird hours, but excepting a few foods, most of it felt like punishing myself for being fat. Also, despite my faithful adherence, I had bottomed out and lost nary an ounce. Now I’m trying to figure out what to do with the looming leftover mass of chemical evil that lurks in my kitchen, irritating me that I spent money on it.
Pretty is subjective. The only way to define it is to ask a large, demographically representative population.
Maybe you were as pretty when you were fat as you are now that you are thin. But you’re not in a position to be the final judge of that.
I have trouble with the emphasis on “pretty” at all. Even if I weren’t a fatty, I’d still be a real barker. I’ve come to own my ugly like I’ve come to own every other aspect of my body, as something that doesn’t diminish my worth as a person. I can’t stand any advertising that focuses on women’s decorative potential, as if that is all we truly exist for. Where are the ads for products that will make us interesting, smarter, kinder, funnier, more outgoing or better workers? Oh wait, those are all marketed to men, I forgot.
Screw pretty, it all sags, drags and bags eventually. I’d rather be well read and a good conversationalist, which can’t happen if I’m constantly thinking about food.
Pingback: Big Fat Deal » The Goldilocks Paradox
The directory structure is a marketing tool. When you visit the site from nutrisytem.com/pretty it means you watched that particular commercial, because it’s probably the only way you would know about /pretty. It just forwards you to nutrisystem.com.
Similarly the ones targeted towards men have directory structures like: /football. They’ll track how many users come through which directories and be able to use those numbers for marketing and demographics.
Not saying that they couldn’t have used a better word, but that’s the reason for structure.
Godless Heathen, I want to kiss you on the mouth!
I’ve always been mystified with people who bemoan my weight by saying: “But you have *SUCH* a pretty face!”
Er, no. I don’t. I have a face that would make a train back up and take a dirt road. I work hard with what I’ve got, but, well, it’s makeup, not a damn miracle.
I’ve always wanted to make myself a T-Shirt that says: Welcome to the Ugly Majority. I am your leader.
Hee!!!!
@ i_geek:
“No, I agree with you. I think it has to do with each person’s weight setpoint. I look at the face. If it looks healthy, then I tend to assume that the person it’s on is also healthy, regardless of weight.”
You can’t judge a person’s state of health any more accurately by looking at how “healthy” their face looks than by observing how much they weigh. I have a hormonal acne problem and chronic dark circles under my eyes which I was born with. But I get plenty of sleep and regular exercise and eat a healthy natural vegetarian diet.
Besides, it’s really pretty easy to cover up a range of “unhealthy” facial characteristics with make-up these days.
Arlene: “You can’t judge a person’s state of health any more accurately by looking at how “healthy” their face looks than by observing how much they weigh. I have a hormonal acne problem and chronic dark circles under my eyes which I was born with. But I get plenty of sleep and regular exercise and eat a healthy natural vegetarian diet.
Besides, it’s really pretty easy to cover up a range of “unhealthy” facial characteristics with make-up these days.”
Yeah, after I posted that I realized that there was no way to say what I intended without it coming across poorly. What I meant was that some people’s faces look like they have enough body fat when they are very slender, whereas others’ faces look gaunt at that same lower weight/clothing size, indicating that their healthy weight/body fat setpoint is higher. But again, I don’t think I can accurately express what I mean within the limits of written language. Truly, I did not mean to offend and I apologize if I have done so.
You know, it’s not just dieting that makes you pretty. It’s also plastic surgery, including tummy tucks. When I came across this article (http://www.newsweek.com/id/132240), I thought immediately of this discussion. The article discusses a new book for kids. The book is supposed to help kids understand what’s going on when their moms get plastic surgery. It’s called My Beautiful Mommy.
Fat is so closely entwined with ugly in our society, that the two seem to have become synonomous. ‘Fat’ has morphed from a description of size, to a gross and offensive insult.
Not to be the bearer of cutting sarcasm, but does that My Beautiful Mommy book have a chapter on, “What if mommy dies from a surgical complication?” I would think not.
I’m really tired of the whole image thing. Like yesterday I watched 60 Minutes, it was pratically an entire hour of promoting how benificial WLS is. I recorded it on my DVR earlier, and sped fast it after a few minutes. It’s like listening to someone tell you that Arsenic is the latest cure all.
I think it’s gone beyond surreal, now it’s just plain beyond f**ked up. Unless your being paid to hold a infomercial for WLS, it does not belong on your show. Talk about a huge drop in realiability from 60 Minutes.
I think those of us in the fat acceptance movement, who are familiar with or know someone who is familiar with horror film production, should come up with a horror film that shows the reality of WLS. Like, not say WLS exactly, but make a version of it similar enough to where people know what we’re talking about.
Like, say we live in a world where people who are different in any sense, have to get a surgery to correct them. At the cost of their health, their life, their ability to do anything. Focus mostly on the difference being about people who are overweight, but also make it a “It could happen to you too” kind of feeling.
I think sometimes the only way to get people to realize something terrible is going on, is to scare the s**t out of them. They won’t like hearing that when there are people vomiting blood and white foam in the film, actually are based on the real stories of people who have experienced WLS.