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....

If it was normal weight women in bikinis

wtf is a "normal weight woman"?!

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.

It can become a sexist issue by sheer number. Just like male movie protagonists. Fine on their own, sexist in the way they outnumber female protagonists.

Seems they're indeed going for a beach feeling, not just for marketing with naked women, but the fact that there's so many naked women in advertising means I get annoyed even when the brand also has naked men.

MrsTerry it is a problem. But I agree it's a problem for men and women alike. When I was a teenager times weren't as body focused. Now there's a form of body dysmorphia called 'bigism' where men (and boys) become ill trying to become as big and muscular as they can. These issues have direct links with advertising and media, from Towie to packaging and adverts.

wtf is a "normal weight woman"?!

I could have written "average", but since in the US the average is closer to obese, that has its own problems.

So, normal it is.

I consider my own weight normal, but the experts would say I'm underweight. As probably those models are, too.

It's still sexist. Note how the men are 'active'. Sports and doing things for themselves. The women are doing the classic, "flirt over shoulder" designed for the male gaze.

Of course nothing has half-clad men was hyperbole Are people really unaware of the issues with how men and women are portrayed in the media?

www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/19/howard-schatz-photos-women-professional-athletes_n_4297902.html

Actually, MrsTerry the op has put up an image from superseded packaging. The current version shows a woman doing a badass volleyball save.

I'm going to bow out now as, whilst I am actively against misogyny, sexism and criticising other people's appearances I really don't think this is about that and we're picking apart some pictures of human beings. If we carry on this way we'll never be able to show people at all!

I don't know the brand but in that case, have at it. Sounds like they've actually made an effort to be pretty decent with their packaging!

I love their nori snacks, and so do my kids, but they are over packaged. I feel guilty about all that plastic.

It looks more like knickers or tights packaging.
That's the first thing I thought when I saw it too.

I really love the Itsu seaweed thins
Me too Laurie. I buy Tescos or Sainsbury's sushi nori sheets instead now as there's less packaging and it's a lot cheaper. I just tear bits off.

or sanitary items packaging

Thy actually don't put pictures of women's arse cheeks on sanitary product packaging. Or of muscley men.

Instead they make up idiotic euphemisms for female anatomy like "the v zone" etc.

TBH with you OP, putting someone with an obesity issue on a packet of any thing to advertise it isn't going to make the product sell is it? Be it rice cakes or thongs.

Those women look lovely and healthy and you sound jealous

They aren't body shaming anybody.

The girls on the cover have healthy bodies. It's sending a good message.

Would you have minded if it had been three overweight girls on the advert? Because promoting obesity isn't exactly very intelligent.

If you're struggling with your weight OP, stop falling for crap like this.

Eat whole foods...less than usual and do more.

No miracle food product will help.

I like chocolate rice cakes, but I have issues. I don't want to look at bum cheeks when I'm buying food. It would set off appetite dampening associations in my mind...

OP, you called the women stick insects'. They're blatantly not. They're toned and slim. If you'd posted a picture of bigger women and called them 'fat cows', then that would be body shaming. Why is 'stick insects' not?

The OP said several eons ago that 'stick insects' was tongue in cheek.

I agree with her position and am slim and fit and not struggling with my weight, so am not buying the argument about being bitter.

Orange meh...she can SAY it's tongue in cheek....people always say that when they say offensive things.

"Oh I was only JOKING!"

Doesn't matter. Still not needed.

I'm slim and fit too. Tongue in cheek or not, it's still wrong. If those women weren't white and the OP had made a comment about their colour in a derogative way, saying afterwards that it was tongue in cheek wouldn't excuse it.