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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter.

In a world where apps like Photoshop and FaceTune are right at your fingertips, it’s easy to get caught up in the false depictions of the female body. Instagram has implemented a new policy that restricts users under 18 from viewing posts that promote diet or weight loss products and will now be completely deleting posts that claim ‘miraculous’ weight-loss using a commercial product. This includes FitTea and other appetite-suppressing products often advertised by popular influencers for sponsorships. 

The policy was inspired by advocates such as Jameela Jamil, who started “I Weigh,” a campaign that promotes measuring your worth in who you are rather than in how much you weigh. Jamil has taken on multitudes of influencers, including the Kardashians, by shaming them for promoting weight loss products while having a predominantly female following. The danger of advertising these products in a way that makes weight loss seem plausible simply by sucking on a dieting lollipop or drinking a detox tea enhances when it comes from influencers who have gained their looks through genetics, self-enhancements or even Photoshop. 

 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This post of mine started a mad wave of amazing women posting their own back to me in our revolution against shame and self hatred over our looks, perpetuated by the media. I have received thousands and they are too beautiful to not celebrate. I have started an account called @i_weigh to post them all. SEND ME YOURS to that account! I’m fucking tired of seeing women just ignore what’s amazing about them and their lives and their achievements, just because they don’t have a bloody thigh gap. The link is in my bio but please follow the account so we can start this revolution properly and make the fashion and media industry see how many of us are DONE with this shit. ❤️

A post shared by Jameela Jamil (@jameelajamilofficial) on

 

In fact, diet products have detrimental effects on your health. Most reported with stomach troubles, cramps and diarrhea. So much so, the products have not been allowed to be FDA approved and continue to cause major health issues. They also have negative effects on your mental health as increased beauty standards have caused an increase in anxiety and depression among women. 

Instagram’s new policies are important in shielding teens from the dangerous diet culture that resides within influencers’ advertising posts. With Instagram being one of the most popular apps to date, with over six million users logged on, it’s no surprise that it’s power over the stigmas of the female appearance has affected young girls and older women alike. It has created a new wave of beauty standards that are impossible to keep up with. 

Instagram has a long way to go with restricting its influence on over-the-top beauty standards. The age of social media has created an easier way to manipulate women into believing that they aren’t perfect until they have this or this or this. It’s important to start seeing our worth in who we are, not how we look like.

 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

What she said.

A post shared by Jameela Jamil (@jameelajamilofficial) on

 

Images: 1, 2, 3

Part-time pop music enthusiast and full-time bookworm, Kiara is a senior hoping to graduate with a bachelor's in ad/pr and sociology. Her passion for the arts, both written and unwritten, has led her to frequent concerts, museums, and even gardens. Kiara hopes that her dedication to both writing and music will begin her media career in the music industry.
UCF Contributor