Pinterest's Head of Content Explains Why Diet Ads Are No Longer Welcome There

Bodies, the clothes we put on them, and the way they make us feel have been my business for nearly 20 years. As the former Executive Fashion Director at Cosmopolitan (hey guys!!) I’d be on set, styling celebs and models for photoshoots, working up-close and personal (like super up close, literally helping them get dressed) all the time. One of my favorite covers I worked on was the Ashley Graham issue in 2016. It was her first major cover, and we loved having the opportunity to celebrate everything that makes her fabulous.

Five years later, my job as Head of Content and Creator Partnerships at Pinterest is very different than my days styling Graham, but I’m still inspired by women like Tabria Majors, Katie Sturino, Shiquita Hyman, and Kellie Brown, who fight against old-school mainstream body standards and diet culture.

Data shows we’re not the only ones sick of a fat-phobic society: On Pinterest, searches for “healthy mindset quotes” are 13 times higher than they were in 2020, and both “body neutrality” and “stop body-shaming quotes” are five times higher. Yet, despite the dramatic increase in searches for weight-inclusive content, ads for weight-loss pills, diet plans, and imagery that shames bodies still feel inescapable on the internet.

Obviously, we all know how harmful these outdated images and messages can be, so we’re doing something about it. Pinterest has officially updated its weight loss ad policy to prohibit all ads with weight loss language and imagery. From now on, they’ll be no more testimonials regarding weight loss or weight loss products, language or imagery that idealizes or denigrates certain body types, or references to body mass index.

More than 475 million people worldwide come to Pinterest every month for inspiration to create the life they love. But if someone feels ambushed by diet ads while searching for cute swimsuits or attacked by images of six-packs wrapped in measuring tape while looking for 5k training plans, how could they possibly feel worthy of living a life they love? We need to make it clear that Pinterest is a place where everyone belongs—regardless of body shape or size.

“The body neutrality conversations happening online now are a great way to promote acceptance, but we still continue to see unsolicited messaging about our bodies,” says the incredible model, activist, and Pinterest Creator, Tabria Majors, who helped us craft a policy that that was in line with the ideals she promotes every single day through her platform. “I look forward to creating content on Pinterest…to promote acceptance and empower others to develop a positive relationship with their bodies,” she adds.

Whether it’s content related to body neutrality or wellness, we want to foster an environment that helps people find ideas that inspire them.

I encourage other platforms to join us in taking the same action. Making the internet a more inspiring space is something we can all be a part of now and forever.

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