Flat Tummy Tea Endorsers Give Women False Ideas of What Their Body Should Look Like
By: Brooklyn White
I spent the days following Thanksgiving hanging out with my daughter, partner and television. We expressed our never ending gratitude by watching back-to-back episodes of ‘The Good Place’, NBC’s comedic series that discusses the details of morality and what happens when you die. One of the show’s lead roles goes to Jameela Jamil, an accomplished British actress who stars as Tahini, the well-off, terribly fake socialite who is involved with charity for all of the wrong reasons. The show has it half right - Jamil is indeed an activist, but she speaks out for young women because she truly cares.
On Monday, November 26th, the actress posted screenshots of the Instagrams of Iggy Azalea, Khloe Kardashian, Amber Rose, and Cardi B, ridiculously wealthy hyper influencers who endorse nonsensical products like Flat Tummy Tea. These women are obviously paid in product and with cold hard cash to be seen holding a tea that supposedly aids in weight loss, and Jamil shared the screenshots to call them out on their BS. In a gut punch of a tweet, she said “Give us the discount codes to your nutritionists, personal chefs, personal trainers, airbrushers, and plastic surgeons you bloody liars.”.
Jameela has openly discussed her struggle with an eating disorder and earlier this year, said that as a teenager, she didn’t have a period for three years because of the illness. Her distorted views of self were exacerbated by unrealistic expectations placed on women’s bodies, which is why she is vocal about how harmful secretly curated bodies are. Knowing that Iggy, Cardi, Khloe, and Amber have access to resources and people that the average working woman does not makes them liars, because they are in fact selling a lie. Y’all know those teas and appetite suppressant lollipops are basically useless. Plus, Cardi B and Khloe Kardashian gave birth this year, making them even more wrong for not only capitalizing off of women’s insecurities, but also selling them a fantasy-like version of what a postpartum body looks like.
A doctor responded to Jamil’s post with the following: “As a GP[,] I've dealt with side effects of detox teas, such as tachycardia, restlessness, decompensation of thyroid pathology, etc. Luckily those patients asked for help on time.” So, there are not only emotional and mental dangers stemming from the support of detox teas, but there are serious, physical side effects. Ready to put your faith in yourself and not a hoax yet?
Much of the modern idea of beauty is clouded by weight/body type and whiteness, and all of the accused have the side-eye worthy, (and primarily generated) mixture of Black curves, white accents (lighter skin, small noses), and flat bellies. They continue to profit from the lies of extreme diet culture, even at the expense of young women who desperately need representation of untouched bodies. Kudos to Jameela Jamil for calling attention to this tired trend. Hopefully, it will come to a screeching halt.