Facebook has removed the ‘ feeling fat ’ emoticon from its status menu after an online campaign from activists who complained that it was insensitive to people who struggle with eating disorders . Facebook has removed the ‘ feeling fat ’ emoticon from its status menu after an online campaign from activists who complained that it was insensitive to people who struggle with eating disorders . More than 16,000 people signed an online petition at change.org set up by Catherine Weingarten and the group Endangered Bodies , which seeks to combat ‘ merchants of body hatred who turn girls and women against their own bodies ’ . Activists associated with the group launched multiple Change.org petitions last month as part of a campaign linked to National Eating Disorders Awareness Week . ‘ We ’ ve heard from our community that listing “ feeling fat ” as an option for status updates could reinforce negative body image , particularly for people struggling with eating disorders , ’ a Facebook spokeswoman said on Tuesday . ‘ So we ’ re going to remove “ feeling fat ” from the list of options . We ’ ll continue to listen to feedback as we think about ways to help people express themselves on Facebook. ’ Catherine Weingarten , a Catherine Weingarten , a 24-year-old Ohio student who launched the U.S. version of the petition , had written on the petition 's page that ‘ fat is not a feeling. ’ Campaign : More than 16,000 people signed Catherine Weingarten 's online petition which called for the 'feeling fat ' emoji to be eliminated from Facebook 's list of emojis that can be used as status updates . 'Scrolling through Facebook the other day , I saw a friend ’ s status set to `` feeling fat , '' accompanied by an emoji with chubby cheeks and a double chin . ' I think it was supposed to be funny , but seeing this status made me feel angry . 'As someone who has struggled with and overcome disordered eating , I know what it ’ s like to `` feel '' fat . 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 . '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 . 'That is not ok. Join me in asking Facebook to remove the `` fat '' emoji from their status options . ' Apology : Facebook released a statement on Tuesday saying that it was ditching the 'feeling fat ' emoji for status updates because it could reinforce negative body image , particularly for people struggling with eating disorders . Following Facebook ’ s announcement , Weingarten told Change.org in a statement : “ As someone who struggled with body image , I feel so happy that I am eliminating one form of body shaming hatred on the internet. ” . Facebook had previously issued a statement to ABC News that said : 'People use Facebook to share their feelings with friends and support each other . 'One option we give people to express themselves is to add a feeling to their posts . You can choose from over 100 feelings we offer based on people ’ s input or create your own . ' Mashable pointed out that under 'Safety Resources , ' Facebook lists resources in response to the question 'How do I help someone who 's posted worrisome things about eating disorders ? ' The 'feeling fat ' emoji had been taken down by Facebook early on Tuesday morning EST .
Company announced on Tuesday that it had binned the offending emoji . Move comes after pressure from the pressure group Endangered Bodies . More than 16,000 people had signed a change.org petition . Catherine Weingarten , a 24-year-old Ohio student , had written on the petition 's page that 'fat is not a feeling ' Endangered Bodies complained that the emoji was insensitive to people who struggle with eating disorders .