Retail department store giant Macy’s is under fire this week after a tweet featuring plates with controversial messages regarding portion control went viral.
“How can I get these plates from @Macys banned in all 50 states,” tweeted Alie Ward, a science correspondent for the CBS series “Innovation Nation.”
How can I get these plates from @Macys banned in all 50 states pic.twitter.com/1spntAluVl
— Alie Ward (@alieward) July 21, 2019
The photo featured a dinner plate marked with varying sized circles, with the smallest labeled “skinny jeans,” the next size up labeled “favorite jeans,” and the largest one labeled “mom jeans.” A smaller plate intended for appetizers showed two circles with similar accompanying messages reading “foodie” and “food coma.”
The plates, designed by a company called Pourtions, were being sold in Macy’s concept shop, ‘Story’, at their flagship location in Manhattan’s Herald Square.
According to the brand’s website, their collections provide a “humorous + healthy way to watch what you eat + drink.”
“Research shows that people unintentionally consume more calories when faced with larger portions,” their homepage reads. “So, to keep you from overindulging, our tableware collection provides helpful —and hilarious—visual cues; simple guide rails. It’ll spice up your dinner table, and your conversation. We’ll save a seat at the table for you.”
Understandably so, their controversial dinnerware messages have created an uproar across Twitter and social media from many who feel they are fueling body negativity and eating disorders.
Ward said the poorly thought-out plate concepts made her think of the “moms to young girls to guys who dismiss centuries of crushing beauty standards and laugh them off.”