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Women blast controversial Times Square billboard for 'body-shaming,' demand it be pulled down
A Times Square ad for appetite-suppressing lollipops is causing a stir. (Image source: WCBS-TV screenshot)

Women blast controversial Times Square billboard for 'body-shaming,' demand it be pulled down

Some women are criticizing a Times Square billboard because they believe it promotes "body shaming."

The prominently placed billboard features a young woman sucking on a lollipop with the caption: “Got cravings? Girl, tell them to #SuckIt.”

The ad is for a company called Flat Tummy, which sells hunger-curbing lollipops.

Sophie Vershbow, 28, told WCBS-TV that she has struggled with an eating disorder in the past and that she believes the ad is dangerous.

“It’s so potentially harmful to so many people walking by it, and I felt like we finally needed to take a stand and try and get it taken down,” she told the TV station.

“They’re creating the problem by telling you [that] you need a flat tummy to be desirable,” Vershbow added. “We need to give people the tools and the education to get them healthy and into a good mindset.”

Vershbow tweeted, “Hey Twitter, Let’s use our power for good by guilting @FlatTummyCo into taking down their Times Square billboard advertising appetite suppressants. Love, A former-anorexic teenage girl.”

Others have called it a body-shaming billboard, according to WCBS.

The ad has also caught the attention of actress Jameela Jamil tweeted, “EVEN TIMES SQUARE IS TELLING WOMEN TO EAT LESS NOW? Have we actually gone mad? Why aren’t there any boys in the ad? Why is it f***ing PINK? Because you feel men can look however they want? Their goals are to be successful. But ours are to just be smaller? F*** off.”

Accompanying the large billboard is a smaller pink one that reads: “1.5 million BABES and counting” and refers viewers to the company's social media accounts.

Kim Kardashian received backlash after promoting the product online, according to Women’s Health Magazine.

The magazine published an Instagram promo by Kardasian that has since been taken down. It reportedly read: “You guys… @flattummyco just dropped a new product. They’re Appetite Suppressant Lollipops and they’re literally unreal. They’re giving the first 500 people on their website 15% OFF so if you want to get your hands on some… you need to do it quick! #suckit.”



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