Last week, fast-fashion company Forever 21 received major backlash on Twitter for sending Atkins diet bars along with orders of plus-sized merchandise. Customers angrily expressed that they felt the company was trying to get them to lose weight due to the fact that they were ordering plus-sized clothing.
"I went from a size 24 to 18, still a plus size girl, so I ordered jeans from @Forever21. Opened the package, when I looked inside I see this Atkins bar. What are you trying to Tell me Forever 21, I'm FAT, LOSE WEIGHT? Do you give these to NON-PLUS SIZE WOMEN as well?" Twitter user @MissGirlGames wrote in a post that has been liked and shared constantly by thousands of other users.
Of course, it wasn't just her who decided to take her frustration to the platform. Twitter user @jessemarisaelao also expressed her disappointment with the company when her mother also received a diet bar with her plus-sized purchase. "My mom ordered some clothes from @Forever21's plus-size collection and they sent an Atkins diet bar along with the stuff she ordered," she wrote. "Sending people diet bars, shakes, teas, etc. with clothes they bought can send a negative message about body image."
When Forever 21 responded to the issue, the company apologized and claimed it had actually sent the Atkins bars with all types of orders ranging from extra small to the plus sizes, but people weren't buying it. Twitter user @xdianthiax tweeted "whoever said forever 21 is putting Atkins bars in all orders is a liar, it's only in the plus-sized orders and whoever approved of that should have they're a** beat."
Others claimed they had also in fact received Atkins bars, even though they didn't order from the plus-sized section. "I'm a size medium and got an Atkins bar, too. It's not a personal attack lol" wrote Twitter user @themeowsterz in response to another tweet claiming they had only sent it along with the plus-sized merchandise.
Forever 21 told multiple news sources that they had teamed up with Atkins to promote their product, and it was meant to be seen as a free sample; as if Ulta sent you a sample moisturizer along with your new mascara. So, who knows? Was Forever 21 actually targeting plus-sized customers? Was the company really just trying to promote another company it had partnered with?
Whether or not Forever 21 was trying to target a certain demographic, sending diet bars along with clothing is a major PR slip up, especially in this day and age. Sure, some people may take things a little too seriously nowadays, but sending diet bars also sends the message that you want your customers to lose weight, which can be insulting to anyone, plus-sized or not.