Leading online retailer, Amazon, has been under fire for allowing a vendor to sell an insensitive and controversial sweatshirt. Said sweatshirt was created by ArturoBuch, and states that the definition of anorexia is “like bulimia, except with self control,” ridiculing both eating disorders. Yes, now is a good time to be upset.
It is unclear why the hoodie is still being sold to this day on the site, even with almost 171 negative reviews. Anorexia and bulimia are legitimate mental health issues – and most definitely should not be trivialized and turned into a bad joke in hot pink font on a hoodie. In fact, eating disorders lead with the highest mortality rate amongst all mental illnesses.
Many took to Twitter to express their distaste for the sale of such products. Beth Grant, who formerly suffered from anorexia, summed up perfectly in an interview with BBC how damaging promoting the sale of pro-anorexia items are, saying “making a commodity out of it is completely irresponsible and disgraceful” and could “damage the mental health [of those with these eating disorders] even further” by referring to those who suffer from bulimia as “out of control.”
“It’s absolutely disgraceful and irresponsible”
Retailer Amazon criticised over anorexia/bulimia hoodie: https://t.co/Ky5JeRttpO pic.twitter.com/Z2cgyWVvFJ— Victoria Derbyshire (@VictoriaLIVE) October 3, 2017
That hoodie getting sold on @amazon is NOT in the slightest bit funny. Anorexia/Bulimia is NOT a joking matter. Mental Health IS NOT funny
— Christine Spencer (@chris165281) October 3, 2017
.@amazon Please remove this #anorexia ‘hoody’ item from sale. #eatingdisorders kill. It is not a joking matter https://t.co/Cf0ZNMqT8G pic.twitter.com/CKQdDE8shg
— Dr Andy Mayers FRSA (@DrAndyMayers) September 29, 2017
We hope that this ArturoBuch sweatshirt will come down as soon as possible. You can view Amazon’s selling policies here.