Facebook removes ‘feeling fat’ emoji after pressure from petition

Feeling a little on the heavy side lately?

Thanks to a Change.org petition, you’ll no longer be able to convey that to your Facebook friends.

Facebook’s “feeling fat” emoticon first received attention from Ohio State grad student Catherine Weingarten, who filed the first petition.

Weingarten, a member of body image organization Endangered Bodies, said in the petition that “fat is not a feeling” and that the emoticon was harmful to victims of eating disorders.

“As someone who has struggled with and overcome disordered eating, I know what it’s like to ‘feel’ fat,” Weingarten said in the petition. “I have spent years of my life consumed with negative thoughts about my body, and far too many days starving myself in an effort to lose weight. But even worse than the skipped meals and the hours spent obsessing in front of the mirror was the fear of what others thought about me and my body.”

Endangered Bodies also put together a video in protest of the emoticon:

After more than 16,000 people signed the petition, Facebook changed the emoji to “feeling stuffed.”

“Fat is not a feeling,” Weingarten’s petition said. “Fat is a natural part of our bodies, no matter their weight. And all bodies deserve to be respected and cared for.”

This story was originally published March 11, 2015 at 12:49 PM with the headline "Facebook removes ‘feeling fat’ emoji after pressure from petition."