Facebook scraps 'feeling fat' emoji after pressure from activists

The News Minute | March 12, 2015 | 10:10 am ISTFacebook has decided to remove the "feeling fat" emoji after online protests through social networking sites. "Feeling fat" appeared as one of many preset options included in Facebook's drop down list of status updates. A Change.org petition had sparked a debate, questioning if the social network promoted body-shaming.Endangered Bodies, the group behind the initiative, wanted the status and accompanying emoji removed because they believed it encouraged body-shaming and "self-destructive thoughts.""When Facebook users set their status to 'feeling fat,' they are making fun of people who consider themselves to be overweight, which can include many people with eating disorders," the petition reads."That is not OK. Fat is not a feeling. Fat is a natural part of our bodies, no matter their weight. And all bodies deserve to be respected and cared for," it added.On Twitter, the hashtag #fatisnotafeeling was also being used by people who were upset by the status option.TweetFollow @thenewsminute