A presentation on the following question: Is the diet & weight loss industry ethically justified in their advertising methods, especially in the United States? Created by Brittney Johns

1. Weight Loss & Diet Industry
By Brittney Johns

2. Is the diet & weight loss industry ethically justified in their advertising
methods, especially in the United States?
Position: socio-anthropological

3. situation

4. In the summer of 2015,
Protein World, a "meal
replacement and
supplement" company
released a series of
advertisements in the
United States to promote
their new latest product,
The Slender.

5. With the tagline “Are you
beach body ready?” it was
accompanied by a picture
of a seemingly fit woman,
implying: "you can look like
her if you try the product. "

6. This single advertisement angered many people who went to
social media to show their disapproval of the ads while creating
counter-ads to deconstruct the original ad's message.

7. • And parodies

8. • Protein World isn’t the only company to use advertisement to lure
their audiences.
• Other companies such as
Used similar methods.

10. values

11. • Freedom of speech/expression
• Individuality
• Normality

12. principle

13. Mill’s Utilitarianism
“Greatest good for the greatest number of people”
• The Protein World’s ad proved that many people are feed up with weight
loss advertisements. Even go as far as considering the ad fat/body shaming
women.
• However, 100 million people who have brought a weight loss product.
• As well as over 79 million Americans are considered obese.
• In 2014 alone, the weight loss industry generated over $64 billion.
• In this situation, the “greater good” is “help” people with their weight
problem.
• It would also generate a huge profits.

14. • To add more to Mill’s Principle,
the weight loss industry always
relay on people to give them
profit.
• The ads the left took place in
1908.

15. loyalties

16. • The American mainstream
culture.

17. judgment

18. • Americans are being more “health conscious”.
• exercise regularly
• eating healthy
• checking their weight.
• As more people become increasingly critical of damaging information,
the weight loss industry are not ethically justified.

19. • However, if one includes
magazines, especially
health/lifestyle magazines,
“healthy” food products, and
even language, the weight
loss industry is ethically
justified.

20. • American culture values individuality, but it
has limits. In order for weight loss industry
continue being successful is to feed on
many people fears of being fat or the
“Other”.
• The “Other” is position as being different,
not of a culture’s norm.
• Fat is not valued in American culture, as it
is seen as lazy, weak, less feminine as thin
(or “healthy”) seen as the exact opposite.
• As millions of Americans struggle with
their weight and view fat as non-desirable,
the diet & weight loss industry is ethically
justified in their advertisement.