forever 21 store
photo: Flickr/Phillip Pesar

Forever 21 had the entire internet ticked off after multiple reports of plus-size shoppers receiving Atkins diet bars in their packages. The message sent — intended or not — is that plus-size shoppers should consider losing weight. That sucks because it's incredibly fatphobic, but it's also bad because Forever 21 has a history of not properly servicing plus-size women with its offerings. The brand has dropped way too many cool collections that basically left out plus sizes, save a few uninspired T-shirts. That practice coupled with this diet bar fiasco gives Forever 21 a terrible reputation. 

Now the brand has something to say to all of its shoppers. 

People were completely confused when they opened their Forever 21 packages full of plus-size clothes and discovered an Atkins diet bar waiting for them. 

"I went from a size 24 to 18, still a plus size girl, so I ordered jeans from @Forever21. Opened the package, when I looked inside I see this Atkins bar. What are you trying to Tell me Forever 21? I’m FAT, LOSE WEIGHT? Do you give these to NON-PLUS SIZE WOMEN as well?" one person tweeted along with a photo of the Atkins diet bar she received in her clothing package. 

When people discovered that Forever 21 sent those diet bars to MULTIPLE plus-size shoppers, it stopped looking like a one-off and started looking VERY fatphobic.

"@Forever21, why are you sending out Atkins bars with your plus-size orders? It's hella fatphobic, insensitive, and harmful to everyone involved. Diet culture continues to thrive because of companies like you who 'subtly' shove it down people’s throats. Please address this," one person criticized.

Critics even began the #boycottforever21 hashtag.

"If there isn't yet another reason to hate this company," one person wrote. "They frown upon and mock their plus sized shoppers in [the] store. Now, they're trying to tell their plus-sized customers to lose weight and they're not so plus-sized to get thinner too." 

This was clearly a very, very bad marketing plan.

Forever 21 failed to address the diet bar issue on any of its social media platforms on which shoppers raised their concerns.

photo: NBC

As Forever 21 shoppers demanded answers on social media, the brand responded with absolutely nothing. This was especially concerning since the brand has a Forever 21 Help Twitter page that's obviously created for issues like this. One shopper noted that they reached out directly to customer service, and the store would not do anything about the offensive "gift" it sent. Thankfully, Forever 21 did provide an explanation directly to media outlets.

Forever 21 asserts that it did not target only plus-size customers with its Atkins diet bars.

"From time to time, Forever 21 surprises our customers with free test products from third parties in their e-commerce orders," the brand shared in a statement. "The freebie items in question were included in all online orders, across all sizes and categories, for a limited time and have since been removed. This was an oversight on our part and we sincerely apologize for any offense this may have caused to our customers, as this was not our intention in any way."

For extra clarity, Forever 21 hasn't just used Atkins bars as their free gifts. Several Forever 21 shoppers of all sizes tweeted that they have also received free BIC razors in their packages.

Although Forever 21 revealed that it sent diet bars to people of all different sizes, it's important to note that sending diet bars (as in, bars created by a diet brand which is, in this case, Atkins Diet) to anyone is not OK. 

"It really doesn’t matter if Forever 21 is sending diet bars to everyone who orders their clothes and not just plus-size people. Enforcing diet culture on people of any size is how we ended up in this fatphobic society in the first place," one person wrote. Sending anyone an Atkins Diet bar is just insensitive. People of all sizes deal with body image issues that get exacerbated by a culture that worships unhealthy diet practices. 

Promoting diet culture is never OK.

"Forever 21 is promoting diet culture and it’s downright disgusting," another critic wrote. "This isn’t 'healthy' food, nor is it body positivity. It’s toxic and triggering for any person, especially with an eating disorder."

Thankfully, Forever 21 has pulled all Atkins diet bars from its existing packages. Let's hope this NEVER happens again. Let people shop in peace, and if you want to promote healthy eating, then find a way that doesn't feel invasive and shame-y.