Kurbo and WW (formerly Weight Watchers) are two words that have been making a lot of people’s blood boil all week. If you don’t already know, you’re about to get to know!
Recently, WW introduced the world to Kurbo, a nutrition and weight loss app aimed at children between the ages of 8 and 17. Yep, you read that correctly; a weight loss app for eight year olds. The app allows children – because yes, people aged between 8 and 17 are children – to have video chat sessions with adults (which poses a whole different set of risks entirely) to discuss topics such as nutrition and weight loss.
Holly Stallcup shared that in the US eating disorders in children are more common than type 2 diabetes, and across the globe eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Why on earth would anyone want to encourage children to partake in diet culture?
Because that’s what diet culture does. It ruins lives, and there’s no way that should ever be inflicted on a child, ever.
But do Kurbo & WW care about the effect this partnership and this app might have on it’s users? Of course they don’t! Why? Well, isn’t it obvious? Kurbo & WW don’t want your health, they want your money.
Kurbo & WW – the scam
So many people choose to take part in weight loss schemes, such as WW, Slimming World, Slim Fast, Cambridge, Jane’s Plan and so on. Their schemes are designed as opportunities to get fit and healthy – but there is more to fitness and health than weight loss, and these schemes definitely don’t care about health at all.
Not too long ago, I wrote about the joke that is Slimming World and how they literally make up ‘syns’. Counting how many ‘syns’ you can have is similar to calorie counting but is disguised with a “fun” word. Said word is also synonymous with sinning. As a result, people subconsciously feel bad for consuming too many of them. It’s utter bullshit.
In the same way that you can pay to go to a Slimming World group and sign up for recipes, you can pay for various products, support and subscriptions. Money, money, money – it’s what keeps these groups and schemes going. As long as people keep lining their pockets, they’ll keep dishing out “health” advice.
There’s a reason their pockets are being lined so frequently. These diets set members up for failure. They’re not sustainable in the long term and they’re certainly not healthy. I’ve known people on these diets having a full fry up three times a week but refuse to eat a certain yogurt, or too many strawberries. Both of these are significantly healthier than a fry up but can’t be enjoyed?! It’s utter madness.
I digress.
People are set up for failure by these companies offering unsustainable diets – therefore they keep paying to participate in said diet. More unhappy people failing unsustainable diets = more money for diet companies.
Children should be encouraged to be healthy
Obviously children should be encouraged to be healthy. Yes, children should be taught about eating a balanced diet… a diet made up of healthy sized portions of all food groups. Children should be encouraged to exercise often. Children should not be encouraged to worry about their weight, count calories or trying to look a certain way.
There’s more than one healthy weight, more than one healthy body type. Different people need different diets, different types of exercises. It’s irresponsible to leave an app that advises about weight loss in the hands of a child. Kurbo & WW need to do better. Way, way better.
There are so many ways to encourage children to be fit and healthy – make sure they eat their five a day and have everything in moderation. Ensure they’re getting enough exercise. Take them to the park, take them swimming, take them out on a bike. It’s a basic parental responsibility to look after the health and wellbeing of your child. Handing them an app that advises them on losing weight? Yeah, that’s not doing anything for their ‘health’. It’s actually just doing the opposite.
Diet culture is toxic and is all around. As we grow up and go through puberty in our teens, we are already sensitive to body image hang ups. Do we really want to be the ones inflicting this on our own children? Because the moment you hand them that app, you can’t blame the media for their health problems. You can’t blame music, celebrities, Instagram; you can blame Kurbo & WW… and yourself.
It’s about more than physical health
Physical health is obviously important, but so is mental health. Kurbo & WW give absolutely zero fucks about how this app can completely wreck a child’s mental health. Eating disorders are mental health problems and they all start with a person hating their body. Kurbo & WW want you to hate yourself… so that you can pay them to love yourself. A thinner, more accepted version of yourself.
Fuck the health standards of Kurbo & WW and every other diet group. Health comes in all shapes and sizes, as does beauty and happiness. There is more to life than losing weight or being a certain shape or size and that is what we should be teaching our children. Not that ice cream or pizza can’t be enjoyed as part of a healthy and balanced diet.
If you support this app, or any kind of diet group like WW, I’m sorry but you’re trash. If any of you have children, think about the example you’re setting them. Think about the message you’re giving them. Take some fucking responsibility.
Fuck Kurbo & WW and fuck every other person who has ever made a child feel like they’re not enough as they are.
Feel as angry about this as me? Holly has set up a petition that you can sign right here. Let’s bring this madness to an end.
Love from, Florence Grace
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