To start off, I'd like to introduce a very special guest to our blog, a Brighton based blogger Ola Johnson.
Ola is a social media influencer who loves to make a statement in her personal style as well as her message. She is the definition of a boss babe who is taken the social media world by storm. Ola is known not just for her sassy and fashionable Instagram photos, she also has a strong-minded opinion and loves to show that she is more than just her looks.
She is a very close friend of mine and it’s safe to say - everyone needs an Ola in their life. This post came about when Ola started a very important conversation on her Instagram story on influencers promoting slimming products without really addressing the damage that slimming pills, gummies, teas and any of those kinds of product can cause damage to your body.
Hi Ola, I'm so glad that you can join us on this very important topic. What was your first experience of slimming products? I first found out about them when I was a young teen. At that time, I thought that I was overweight and I consistently compared myself to celebrities. I was dieting regularly and one day I read about 'slimming teas‘ in a magazine. I head on over to my local supermarket, bought it and continued to drink it daily for a few weeks. I didn’t notice any difference in my weight, but I did notice a difference in my behaviour and mental health as suddenly all my meals became based around these ‘slimming‘ teas. I was quite lucky that ‘slimming‘ pills or 'gummies' never appealed to me. After years of struggling with my weight in my teens, once reaching my 20's I have realised that my weight was never an issue and the issue was always in my head.
Do you remember the first moment that you realised that what was happening was on a mass scale, and what was your first impression of this? I started to notice celebrities promoting diet ‘gummies‘ or ‘pills‘ for a few years, however, it's only in the last 6 months due to influencers becoming the ‘new celebrities‘ I noticed that EVERYONE was promoting them. Food bloggers, mum bloggers, fashion bloggers, travel bloggers. I have noticed that these products have absolutely nothing to do with their niche but they were still promoting them. Also, due to the fact that I have been asked by the exact same companies to promote the exact same products, I was able to see that they are either doing it on gifting basis or for a significantly small amount of money.
Why do you so strongly disagree with influencers promoting these kinds of products? The issue starts with the fact that neither the companies or the people promoting the product are talking about the side effects of using ’ slimming pills' or 'gummies ‘ and the effect they have on both our physical and mental health. Initially, I didn’t see an issue with anyone endorsing them, because I didn’t realise that no-one really knew or took interests in the repercussions of using these products. Recently, I have noticed that words such as EXTREME Slimming and FAST RESULTS are being used to promote these and I decided and I have had enough and decided to speak up about it, start educating others and asking for people's stories so everyone can make an educated decision before taking any kind of slimming gummies, teas, pills, shakes etc.
What would you recommend someone who is considering purchasing these products? First, ask yourself why are you wanting to use them. Is it because you want to lose weight? They aren’t going to help you. Is it for fast results? Again, not only it's not going to help you but also the laxatives in them will harm you on a bigger scale. If you want to lose weight you MUST consult your doctor first. Ask them to advise you on the healthy amount of weight you could lose. Ask how much weight should you be losing per week, month, year. A doctor should advise you on a dietician that will help you stay full and also healthy, finally find a sport you enjoy or find a personal trainer. This is the answer to a healthy body, slimming products just aren't.
What makes you think that this issue is a lot bigger than it is?
I believe that these people are trying to scam you and make money off of your insecurities and even the sellers themselves may not even realise what kind of damage these slimming products are causing.
Celebrities who endorsed them have personal trainers and dieticians, which is why their bodies look a certain way. They don’t actually have anything to do with these products, in fact, I strongly believe that most of the time they haven’t even seen the product in real life until their photo shoot.
As for Influencers, Bloggers and Vloggers using them - please stop, you're harming yourself, you are harming others. Utilise your platforms to spread educational and positive messages such as this one and give your followers the truth behind these products.
By Ola Johnson
xxx
