Instagram might have started out as a fun social media platform meant for simply sharing photos, but in the last few years, it has evolved into a viable business platform.
Many users have noticed that the app now seems to contain more sponsored content (#SponCon) than off-the-cuff, authentic posts, whether they’re from influencers, micro-influencers, or celebrities.
While plenty of the ads are innocent, a lot of them can be a bit more damaging, specifically the ads for “health” products that promote diet and weight loss in unhealthy ways.
Chances are good that you’ve seen at least one ad for detox tea or diet pills on your feed, usually backed by a famous face and name claiming it has helped them soooo much.
The ads are very misleading, selling the idea that you can look like that person if you use that product – when that person selling it probably has a personal trainer, a chef, and has likely photoshopped their photo before it went online. On top of that, it could be dangerous, as many of these products are not proven to work and some aren’t even FDA approved.
Celebrities have been called out for promoting dangerous diet products – as they should be. Here’s a look at who’s been publicly reprimanded:
1. Kim Kardashian
One of the top offenders here is definitely Kim Kardashian, who has spent the last few years promoting diet tea, diet shakes, and even appetite-suppressing lollipops.
After Kim Kardashian posted a photo with the appetite-suppressing lollipops, The Good Place star Jameela Jamil called her out on Twitter.
She wrote, “No. F*ck off. No. You terrible and toxic influence on young girls. I admire their mother’s branding capabilities, she is an exploitative but innovative genius, however this family makes me feel actual despair over what women are reduced to.”
Kim deleted the original lollipop post before posting it again a day later.
2. Khloe Kardashian
Like Kim, Khloe has a history of posting photos of herself with detox teas and shakes, and she’s been called out several times as well.
Jamil came after Khloe after one of her Instagram posts featuring Flat Tummy shakes.
She left a comment saying that Khloe should mention the fact that she has a personal trainer, a chef, and a surgeon, adding, “It’s incredibly awful that the media bullied you until you became this fixated on your appearance. That’s the media’s fault. But now please don’t put that back into the world, and hurt other girls the way you have been hurt. You’re a smart woman. Be smarter than this.”
Kim and Khloe publicly responded to Jamil’s comments, defending themselves for the diet product posts.
Kim tried to explain it by saying they liked to take on jobs that were easy and didn’t take them away from their kids. Khloe claimed she didn’t have a chef and pointed out that she puts her workouts online.
Jamil responded on social media, calling out their excuses weak, and honestly, can you blame her?
3. Cardi B
The Kardashians aren’t the only celebs Jamil has gone after: she even called out Cardi B.
When Cardi posted about detox tea on her Instagram, Jamil did not hold back. She tweeted, “I hope all these celebrities sh*t their pants in public, the way the poor women who buy this nonsense upon their recommendation do.”
She went on to advise her followers to never take advice “from women who know nothing about nutrition/basic advertising ethics.”
Never one to keep quiet, Cardi had her own response to Jamil, and it wasn’t exactly peaceful.
In a comment on Instagram, Cardi wrote, “I will never sh*t my pants cause there’s public bathrooms everywhere … ooo and bushes.”
Jamil quickly took to Twitter to respond back, claiming that Cardi probably didn’t even know what she was advertising when she created the ad.
4. Perez Hilton
Although he hasn’t actually advertised a weight loss product, Perez Hilton didn’t hesitate to jump into the conversation and say that he would.
Hilton responded to Jamil’s feud with Cardi by tweeting, “If the detox tea people offered me money to promote them, I’m taking that cash!! I got kids!”
Which, hey, we get. You have to put food on the table.
But Jamil pointed out that the people who promote these products aren’t generally hurting for cash.
Jamil responded by saying, “That’s a sad truth @PerezHilton and awful you don’t care about young people, other people’s kids, who get so f*cked up by this stuff. By the time a diet company WANTS you to promote their product, you’re already doing better than most and don’t need the laxative cash for ur kids.”
5. Iggy Azalea
While Jamil was busy feuding with Cardi, she wasn’t too busy to bring up other celebs who promote diet products. One was Iggy Azalea.
Jamil wasn’t the only one who said something. Azealia Banks tweeted out Iggy’s ad, writing, “Aww Iggy is broke. I remember when I had to do flat tummy tea ads for a little weave money. Those were rough times. And she had the nerve to make fun of my soap. Yikes!”
Azalea’s fans also weren’t happy with the ad for Flat Tummy Tea and expressed their anger on her post, which has since been deleted.
One fan wrote, “I can and do hate on this. Your pathetic exploitation of the insecurity of young women by shilling a dodgy laxative tea is horrific.”
6. Amber Rose
Jamil has also gone after Amber Rose a few times – especially after Rose promoted Flat Tummy Tea during pregnancy.
In an Instagram post that has since been deleted, Rose posted an ad for Flat Tummy Organic Pregnancy Tea that did not sit well with her followers or Jamil.
In the caption, Rose wrote, “Okay listen up @flattummyco just launched an Organic Pregnancy Tea to help us moms with those bloated, nauseous, blah feeling days! It’s safe to take while pregnant and breastfeeding. This is not a detox tea – it’s specially designed to help reduce occasional nausea and support digestion during pregnancy – haters stop riding the bandwagon and think for yourselves.”
Jamil went for Rose on Twitter, saying what basically everyone was thinking.
She followed that up with a tweet saying, “So many women, with such big platforms, promoting such irresponsible f*cksh*t, that it blows my mind.”
7. Blac Chyna
In 2018, Blac Chyna got caught up in a slightly different kind of drama: a woman ended up calling Chyna out for using her weight loss photos to promote a diet.
In an Instagram post that has since been deleted, Chyna posted a before and after photo of a woman who had clearly lost weight with the caption, “Interested in getting these 8 week results? Just go follow @weightgone2018.”
According to Buzzfeed, the link on that Instagram page bought users to sites that sold questionable diet pills.
And the weirdest thing? Those before and after pictures weren’t even associated with any of the diet pills Chyna was linking to or trying to help sell.
The woman in the photo, Jourdan Robson-Lawrence from London, told Buzzfeed her friends had been tagging her in Chyna’s photo when they noticed it was her. Robson-Lawrence tried to get Chyna to take down the ad by bringing the story to Buzzfeed.
Robson-Lawrence said, “People are so impressionable these days, especially from what they see on social media. My biggest thing is staying true to myself. It’s so easy to go out there and get surgery to look a certain way. There’s so much pressure to keep up with appearances.”
Preach!
8. Kylie Jenner
When Kylie Jenner posted an ad for a detox shake program on Instagram, her fans were quick to call her out.
In the caption of the photo, Jenner wrote, “#ad lately I feel like I’ve barely had time to take care of myself with my crazy schedule 😩 I’m starting my next @teamiblends30 day detox program cuz last time I tried it I had way more energy and it completely got rid of my tummy bloat. This is Day 1, Round 2 for me 💕 Use code KYLIEJ for 25% to do it with me! #thankyouteami”
Her fans left comments pointing out how the post was probably not true, and also irresponsible.
One user wrote, “Hunnnnyyyy you are too rich to be promoting stuff like this.” Another said, “Stop promoting this garbage you’re a BILLIONAIRE. Stop the nonsense GREED. Promote self love for women.”
9. Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato is one star who has always preached about body positivity, so it was extra surprising to see her post an ad for a detox on Instagram – and her fans let her know that.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Lovato shared a photo of herself with a Teami Blends shake (like Jenner) with the caption, “This year is all about #selflove truly taking care of myself and exercising has changed everything for me,” she wrote.
“@teamiblends has #sponsored my 30 day detox challenge to help get rid of toxins and my bloating for summer,” she continued. “I’m on Day 7 right now & it’s so easy!”
According to Seventeen, fans weren’t having it and started calling her out for her hypocrisy.
One follower wrote, “Teas like this have laxative effects and ‘purge’ the body — therefore is a magnet for eating disorders. And now [Demi] is promoting [the diet] industry in full awareness that, as an ED spokesperson, many of her followers are vulnerable.”
Another follower added, “I just don’t get this move on your part. You can’t just add #selflove to a laxative diet tea and rebrand it as empowering. Promote real health instead.”
10. Scott Disick
Female stars aren’t the only ones pushing detox teas and weight loss products: Scott Disick has also been called out by fans for his ads.
When Disick posted a now-deleted image of himself with a weight loss supplement earlier in 2019, fans replied quickly. One user wrote, “Oh Lordy lord they’ve gotten to the men. Disgraceful.”
