To be really irritated by this kind of packaging & marketing?!

[IDoDaChaCha]

Just saw auctions for these Itsu chocolate rice cakes on eBay and found the packaging infuriating. Body shaming seems to be everywhere and the FSA don't seem to give a hoot that this on food packaging could be very damaging to people.

I've tried a couple of Itsu products before; an underwhelming 'healthy' crisp type snack and an absolutely vile seaweed snack. Based on that alone I wouldn't purchase their rice cakes. But now I've seen this packaging I'm so annoyed with them.

P.s. I love Kallo chocolate rice cakes and they manage to sell them without shaming anyone who isn't a stick insect in a bikini....

I'm with you, OP. I find Itsu's marketing and packaging very dubious. Makes me think of American Apparel (I know they've gone now) saying in their size guide that their clothes were cut for 'a youthful figure', by which they obviously meant 'tiny'.

As a "stick insect" I'm a bit fed up of being blamed for "fat whales" feeling crap about their bodies.

"stick insects" and "fat whales" are tongue in cheek comments.

It's sexist. It looks more like knickers or tights packaging.

Sapphire, Milk and Mike- thanks for reading the thread not just jumping in accusing me of bodyshaming the models

It's just a bit weird all round to choose to put photos of women in bikinis on food packaging. I take it that the rice cakes are aimed at all consumers?

If, for example, one of the teams on The Apprentice had chosen a similar photo to advertise a food product for one of the tasks, I'm pretty sure Alan Sugar would have asked them exactly why and how thought the image related to the product

why and how they thought

Yeah exactly Cat. Can't think of a justification that wouldn't be cringeworthy...

Who's being body shamed?

You obviously can't see that you're body shaming.

And I've read the thread, thanks.

Nicky groan lollllll

I really love the Itsu seaweed thins

I take it that the rice cakes are aimed at all consumers?

Well, I think that's kind of the point –no, they're not, they're aimed at youngish women on their lunch breaks who have an idea that they need to eat 'healthy' or 'clean' (God I hate that word). Itsu as a whole is very much aimed at younger, fairly affluent, body-conscious women IMO.

Nicky I really can't see how the OP has body-shamed anyone. She hasn't criticised the models for being the shape that they are.

Sapphire urgh me too - 'clean eating' makes my teeth itch!!!

The packaging is a very odd marketing decision.

It's a fucking chocolate rice cake not an anti-cellulite cream.

I don't think people in swim wear should be on any food packaging, but you're the only one body shaming anyone.

... and here I was thinking you wanted to complain about every damn product being marketed with pictures of half-naked women.

If it was normal weight women in bikinis, I still wouldn't get what the fuck that has to do with rice cakes.

And if you feel "body shamed" by the sight of thin women in bikinis, how do you cope with going to the beach?

You seem to be unhappy with your current weight. Change it, or make an effort to be more comfortable in your body.

If you feel "shamed" simply by people doing things different from you, you cannot be so very sure that what you do is right.

I always wear comfortable shoes. Don't at all feel shamed by women in high heels. Just pity them.

Are we bodyshaming this dude too? I think there are some with children playing on the beach as well.

OP - I'm not sure which branch of itsu you frequent but the one by my office definitely isn't exclusively frequented by young women.

Ignoring the derailing going on. You know what I think the issue is? Wan to sell something to men; show women with very few clothes. Because the implication is that if you use this product, you'll get to fuck them. Want to sell something to women; show semi-naked women because that's 'inspirational'. Everything has half-clad women, nothing has half-clad men.

It means that yes, women are confronted with hundreds of images a day of unobtainable bodies and they are being silently told they are objects over and over again. It is a problem. Just not a problem with the perfectly nice, slim women on the packaging!

VestalVirgin I rather liked you until the last paragraph! My heels are just as comfy as my flats thanks, no need for pity to come my way...

nothing has half-clad men
Kindly refer to the photo just above your post

Calling a slim woman "stick insect" is rude.
Showing slim healthy and toned body is not fat-shaming. If people feel bad about being fat, it's nobody's fault, blaming the ones who are not is not helping.

If companies do put these photos on their packaging, then it works, otherwise they wouldn't do it. I wouldn't buy a pack for my kids because of the photos, so I am clearly not their target customer.

Laurie, I actually spat the seaweed out it was so bad

Oh look...yoghurty ones too!

Now, I don't disagree with the tenuous link between beach sports and rice cakes but this is particular example is neither a body shaming or sexist issue IMO.

My heels are just as comfy as my flats thanks, no need for pity to come my way..'

Well, nice for you.
Perhaps you are indeed an anatomical miracle who can walk ten kilometres in high heels and not feel that the unnatural pressure they put on the toes leads to any discomfort.

But for most people, they are uncomfortable.

This:

If it was normal weight women in bikinis, I still wouldn't get what the fuck that has to do with rice cakes.