Pinterest Weight Loss Ads Ban – My Opinion

So I pulled my planned post today and rescheduled this weeks content for next week because this topic NEEDS to be talked about. If you haven’t heard yesterday Pinterest put out a statement saying that they are now “banning all advertisements with weight loss language and imagery”. I read these words and thought “wow…way to go Pinterest” but it seems to be a pretty even split on whether people support this or not…so I wanted to share my opinion as a postsecondary educated health and fitness professional.

Before I give you my thoughts on this ban here is what I pulled straight from Pinterest’s advertising policies, so you know exactly what we’re talking about here, keep in mind that this refers to paid advertisements;

“We want Pinterest to be a positive and inspiring place for everyone, so we prohibit weight loss ads and ads that body shame. We don’t allow:

• Any weight loss language or imagery
• Any testimonials regarding weight loss or weight loss products
• Any language or imagery that idealizes or denigrates certain body types
• References to Body Mass Index (BMI) or similar indexes
• Weight loss or appetite suppressant pills, supplements or other products
• Any products that claim weight loss through something worn or applied to the skin
• Before-and-after weight loss imagery
• Weight loss procedures like liposuction or fat burning
• Body shaming, such as imagery or language that mocks or discredits certain body types or appearances or that calls negative attention to areas of the body
• Claims regarding unrealistic cosmetic results

Ads promoting healthy lifestyles and habits or fitness services and products are allowed as long as they don’t focus on weight loss.”

So where do I come down?? I’m in 100% support of this…and before you riot and come at me talking about how there is a health crisis and obesity crisis and people need to be able to lose weight if they want or need to I’m going to share why I fully and whole heartedly support this. I do want to say this if you do want to lose weight this is not necessarily a bad thing, but I would encourage to really dig deep as to why. There is probably something bigger at play than just weight loss, there is probably a reason that’s more emotional for you to lose the weight and there is probably something that will connect you to that goal better than thinking of it as just weight loss. So ask yourself why and then why again and again, until you give yourself a truly meaningful reason to go after your goals…and at the end of the day it probably has less to do with physical weight loss than it does with something else.

Okay…on to my reasons for supporting this topic…

First of all remember that this applies to PAID advertisements. You know the pesky little things that pop up the second you read one article or visit one website and then it’s popping up on every social media page and website you visit…those ads. This doesn’t mean that you can’t go looking for the information if you want it. I’m going to say that again…IF YOU WANT IT. Content will still be there for your viewing pleasure it just won’t be popping up in your face you will have to seek it out. Just because someone might have read a blog about a health or fitness related topic does not automatically mean they want to lose weight. The same goes for moms who look up pregnancy or postpartum information and then get bombarded with “get your pre-baby body back” posts, programs or products. Some people just want to improve their overall health, some people want to feel better, some people want more energy, some people want to be able to keep up with their kids. There are so many reasons people pursue health and fitness and it doesn’t all revolve around weight loss and honestly it tends to be more successful and long-term when it doesn’t.

Second, most of the things that this new policy is referring to are things like skinny teas, diet pills, appetite suppressants, supplements, waist trainers, ect. Most of which (sorry to burst your bubble) don’t actually work anyways…and even if they do work in the short-term, they are never a good long-term solution. I could go on a rant about all of this as well, but to keep it short I will say this. If people were buying these “weight loss” products and they worked and kept the weight off indefinitely why is the dieting industry a multi-billion dollar industry?? Just think about it for a second… Here’s one of the best and worst things about being a health and fitness professional. My goal is always to teach you as a client how to live a healthy lifestyle, how to implement it in a way that works for you, and how to make long-term changes you can take with you through the rest of your life. This is the single most rewarding thing about working in this industry. So what’s downfall? Well the downfall has nothing to do with you as a client…you have gained the tools and skills to change your life…for the rest of your life. As a coach, you should have client turnover (which could be considered a downfall) but honestly that’s a coaches problem…not yours. And a great coach is okay with it, because if they have client turnover it’s likely because they are truly changing people’s lives…and like I said that is the most rewarding part. When we look at these “weight loss” products they are designed to keep you coming back for more…that’s why there is so much money in this industry. If the products worked the way they claim they do most of the time then you wouldn’t have to keep buying the product…and that would be poor for the companies who are selling these products.

Third, the way we talk to people is changing, the way we talk about certain topics is changing and health and fitness is no exception to this. Language can negatively impact people’s self-confidence and self-esteem, it can turn a good day into a bad one and it can be incredibly damaging to people’s mental health. If there is one thing that I have learned since entering the fitness industry (that I certainly didn’t learn in school) it’s how to talk to people in a way that doesn’t shame them, that doesn’t make them feel like crap, and that leaves space for an open conversation without judgement (and trust me when I saw I’m still working on this everyday). By removing the ability of brands or companies to force weight loss into people’s faces with paid advertisements Pinterest in acknowledging this. They are acknowledging had detrimental this type language can be in the hands of some people…not everyone no, but there are plenty of people that will be negatively affected by this type of language and those people shouldn’t have to be exposed to it just because they read a post about a health or fitness related topic.

Fourth, and this is without a doubt the most exciting piece for me…this is going to start to separate the truly educated health and fitness professionals from the ones who are just selling a product or service to make a buck. Here’s why… educated health and fitness professionals understand that there is more to nutrition and exercise than weight loss. They understand that exercise and nutrition can change someone’s life and they don’t have to lose a single pound. They understand the benefits of nutrition and exercise and sleep and stress management and so on and how they relate to each other. They understand that no matter what body type you have that fitness and nutrition is about health…not weight loss. And health looks very different for everyone. This is something that I talk about all the time. Health and fitness (in a lot of places in the world, certainly here in Canada) is not well regulated and the education you can get varies…drastically. A lot of people who get into the fitness industry do so because they found something that worked for them and changed their life and that is awesome…but just because it worked for that person, does not mean they can teach it to other people. Fitness is not one size fits all. Hands on experience is another part of fitness and there are many education courses that don’t offer the hands on part. For example, I have a degree in Human Kinetics, but I followed it up with a graduate certificate to gain the hands on stuff I didn’t get at University because in this industry it’s important. I’m obviously biased to my certification (CSEP – Clinical Exercise Physiologist) but there are a lot of certifications out there, some of which are well recognized and some of which aren’t. It’s important to know this…I talk about this a lot…but if you’re working with a coach you need to know what background they have behind them…and if you’ve never heard of it look it up, ask around, do your research. There is nothing wrong with that. I don’t like to call out specific organizations, but there are some out there people out there that call themselves “health coaches” or “wellness advocates” who has zero background in these areas other than what the organization is giving to them…so be critical, and if that offends someone…you probably don’t want to work with them anyways or buy their products. *end rant*

At the end of the day, you may not agree with Pinterest’s move and you are entitled to your opinion. But here’s the thing…the health and fitness industry is changing, very slowly, but it’s changing. Recently Kayla Itsines (who is a health and fitness phenom based out of Australia) changed the name of her extremely popular Bikini Body programs because she felt the name reflected an outdated view of fitness. More women than ever online are talking about body positivity and embracing your body while still exercising and eating healthy but not placing the emphasis on weight loss. Large brands like Aerie (for example) are focusing on including women of all shapes and sizes and I’m sure there are more examples out there. Pinterest is just following suit…so whether you agree with it not it isn’t going to stop this from continuing to change in all industries. Don’t get me wrong…the health and fitness industry has a loooonnnnnggggg way to go…but when we see steps being made towards these kinds of changes those of us who promote fitness for health reasons, not weight loss get freaking excited. Like really excited! I have these conversations with people all the time, but when I see moves being made by large companies and brands that can actually start to change these things, yeah I get excited…because whether you agree or not, whether you like it or not…this is the direction that health and fitness is heading and yeah…it’s exciting.