Facebook’s option to have “fat” as a feeling on status updates has angered many.
The Non-profit, Endagered Bodies’, has partnered with seven young activists around the world, who will serve as ambassadors for a petition created on Change.org that urges Facebook to delete the option of feeling “fat,” People reports.
One of the ambassadors is an Ohio-based graduate student and playwright, Catherine Weingarten, who has struggled with an eating disorder and believes the phrase “I feel fat” could be harmful.
"This issue is so important because being a young person, Facebook is kind of the way we live," Weingarten told People.
Weingarten, who went to therapy to work on her anger which was surrounded by not feeling like she was good enough, believes the emoticon can promote self-destructive thoughts, People notes.
"For me, when I see the words 'I feel fat,' it takes me back to when I was struggling, and I don't want people to not take it seriously," she says. "When people see that on Facebook, I want them to realize that it's not just a light, cute sort of thing for everyone."
The petition has already managed to garner over 13,000 signatures.
Facebook, who has noticed the petition, has engaged in dialogue with Endangered Bodies, but has defended the emoticon, People notes.
In a statement, Facebook says they give people the option to express themselves with over 100 feelings based on the input of others or the option to create your own. The site encourages friends to help someone they may know that may have posted something indicating that they are struggling with an eating disorder, according to People.
Still, Weingarten is hopeful Facebook will remove the emoticon. "Just the fact that people have been talking about this so much, it's clear that it's struck a chord with a lot of people."