# I heard this fad-diet ad on the radio last Saturday...



## Buffie (Jan 3, 2007)

It was an ad for "The Every Other Day Diet" and it was patently awful. So awful that I have emailed several people in an attempt to get the ad pulled from the air or revised. 

Perhaps I over-reacted, but I actually got a PHONE CALL from a Program Director at XM. Talk about shock. When the receptionist announced the call, I had to ask her to repeat herself. 

Once I was on the phone with him I was shocked even further. He apologized for the ad and said he agreed with the point I was trying to make in my email! This may be hard to believe, but the man was incredibly sincere. 

He explained to me that the particular station on which I heard the ad was not an XM station. It was a Clear Channel station that is broadcast via XM, therefore Clear Channel actually sold the air time to the advertiser. But he assured me he would pass my email along to XM's Clear Channel liaison and also encouraged me to contact Clear Channel directly. 

I have emailed Clear Channel, as well as the manufacturer but have not yet received a response. However, its only been one day. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. I'll keep you updated, though. 

Here's the email I sent to the manufacturer... (Its basically the same thing I said to XM and Clear Channel, but a little more stern. Whereas I wanted XM and Clear Channel on *my side*, I wanted to knock the manufacturer upside the head.) -Edited for Privacy Purposes.- 



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Buffie S. [mailto:Buffie's Email @ xxx.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 1:41 PM
> To: [email protected]
> ...



At least I can say I tried. I have a voice and I used it... and it felt DAMN GOOD!


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## Jane (Jan 3, 2007)

You friggin GO GIRL!!!!!

I'm watching, this weekend, of all things, Ugly Betty, and every other ad is a diet or thigh master ad.

WTF is up with that? Think they could have chosen a less likely vehicle for their ads????


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## supersoup (Jan 3, 2007)

yay for you!!!!!! so awesome!


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## Renaissance Woman (Jan 3, 2007)

Keep us updated. I'm truly interested as to whether the ad agency and/or diet company is going to defend themselves, and if so, how.


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## Buffie (Jan 3, 2007)

I ~heart~ you, Jane! Thanks for the support supersoup and Renaissance Woman! 

I had serious second thoughts before sending each of the emails and even more serious second thoughts about posting details of the experience here... but I'm glad I did and I just had to share the fact that I got a response from XM - a positive one at that. 

It made me consider that other people here have probably been just as (or much more so) offended by things they've come across on TV or radio and like me, they had hesitation about speaking up. I will have hesitation no more and I hope this news will encourage others to speak up even when they're second guessing themselves.


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## Jane (Jan 3, 2007)

Buffie said:


> I ~heart~ you, Jane! Thanks for the support supersoup and Renaissance Woman!
> 
> I had serious second thoughts before sending each of the emails and even more serious second thoughts about posting details of the experience here... but I'm glad I did and I just had to share the fact that I got a response from XM - a positive one at that.
> 
> It made me consider that other people here have probably been just as (or much more so) offended by things they've come across on TV or radio and like me, they had hesitation about speaking up. I will have hesitation no more and I hope this news will encourage others to speak up even when they're second guessing themselves.



My God, that man was lucky enough to talk to Buffie. What the hell more could he want?

I'm proud of you.


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## FreeThinker (Jan 3, 2007)

Buffie said:


> mailto:Buffie's Email @ xxx.com



Your e-mail is hardcore?  


Great move, Buffie!

Bringing up the "biting the hand that feeds it" error in logic on their part was a stroke of genius, and much more cogent a response than I would have been able to muster whilst in the throes of anger.

Reading your e-mail, I can't help but think that the company execs must be highly embarassed, and may be looking for a new ad agency.

You

ROCK.


-Free


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## Buffie (Jan 3, 2007)

FreeThinker said:


> Your e-mail is hardcore?


 
:doh: 



FreeThinker said:


> Great move, Buffie!
> 
> Bringing up the "biting the hand that feeds it" error in logic on their part was a stroke of genius, and much more cogent a response than I would have been able to muster whilst in the throes of anger.
> 
> ...


 
What a nice thing to say. Thank you! I kept a sharp eye on my task bar all day looking for the new mail icon. 

Hopefully "The Every Other Day" execs are mortified. That was a really dumb move on their part. Then again, the ethics involved with people who work for companies like that are probably nil... which might suggest a lack of humility, too. No telling. 

But I do hope they at least respond, even if only to tell my "ugly fat" ass to buy their product because if I don't then I'm going to keel over tomorrow from either my "hurtful" fat or the horror of seeing my "ugly fat" reflection.  

LOL 

It was soooooooo tempting to get sarcastic and snotty and rude, because that's just fighting fire with fire, right? However, I felt like I would take the civilized route first and see how far it would get me. 

Going to work is never something I dread, but I'm looking forward to it more than usual tomorrow.


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## Chimpi (Jan 3, 2007)

FreeThinker said:


> Bringing up the "biting the hand that feeds it" error in logic on their part was a stroke of genius, and much more cogent a response than I would have been able to muster whilst in the throes of anger.



I will have to second that.
I think you did an exceptional job, as well, Buffie, and am proud you made a stand for you yourself, big people, and did it so 'grande'.  Very, very good letter indeed!

However, I am more excited that I now know your last name starts with "S". *evil laugh*  


Superb job!


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## Buffie (Jan 3, 2007)

Ohhhhmigoodness. You guys! 

Thank you Chimpi. That's really cool of you to say. 

I can't believe all the support! Wow! Just awesome. =)


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## Sandie S-R (Jan 4, 2007)

Jane said:


> .....I'm watching, this weekend, of all things, Ugly Betty, and every other ad is a diet or thigh master ad.
> 
> WTF is up with that? Think they could have chosen a less likely vehicle for their ads????



They pummel us with diet ads in January. That's why you saw so many diet ads, Jane. I tend to watch rented movies in January for that very reason.

Most excellent job on the letter, Buffie. We need more folks to write in on offensive advertising. Let us know if you hear anything back about it.


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## Buffie (Jan 4, 2007)

Thank you Sandie. =)

Unfortunately I can't hop on Dim while I'm at the office, but I will try to give an update as soon as I get home from work tomorrow. 

I forgot to mention a detail or two, in case anyone wants to know... please see below...

The channel which played the ad was the Mix, on XM Channel 22. 

A few of the XM Channels which are actually Clear Channel stations are the Mix, Kiss, Nashville and Sunny. These channels carry commercials, however actual XM music stations have no commercials. So if you listen to XM, in order to avoid the trash-talking ads, just skip the Clear Channel stations. (Or don't skip them if you'd like to satisfy some morbid curiosity. LOL)


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## fatlane (Jan 4, 2007)

Loved the letter, Buffie, but apparently I have to give someone tuberculosis before I can give you rep again.

Now I gotta go GET TB so I can spread it around... sheesh... if I'd known this a month ago, I woulda picked up some TB in China...


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## Buffie (Jan 4, 2007)

Good luck with that, Fatlane. Its the thought that counts anyway. =) Besides, I have dislocated my shoulder patting myself on the back, so any thing you say would really only pale in comparison. 

KIDDING! ~Grins~ You know I think you're the shiz-nit.


So I heard nothing today from either Clear Channel nor "The Every Other Junk Stupid Assholes Diet"... but I have a plan. If I don't get a response from either one by close of business tomorrow, then Monday I will contact them both again and give it a day. 

Should they fail to respond by Tuesday afternoon, I will contact XM again and let them know that Clear Channel brushed me off. I will also start digging a little deeper into the "Every Other Empty Promise Diet" manufacturer's info and see if I can find out what or where the corporate office is and direct some correspondence there. They will either apologize or tell me to go gag myself... either way, I will not be satisfied until one of those two entities acknowledges my complaint. 

This here fat lady hasn't started singing... so it ain't over yet.


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## FreeThinker (Jan 4, 2007)

Buffie said:


> So I heard nothing today from either Clear Channel nor "The Every Other Junk Stupid Assholes Diet"... but I have a plan. If I don't get a response from either one by close of business tomorrow, then Monday I will contact them both again and give it a day.
> 
> They will either apologize or tell me to go gag myself... either way, I will not be satisfied until one of those two entities acknowledges my complaint.
> 
> This here fat lady hasn't started singing... so it ain't over yet.



Grrr...

I bet they thought fat people were supposed to be "jolly". In some sort of "ugly fat" way...



Much as I'd like to see you kick their collective ass, Buffie, I really hope they just quietly pull the spot.


Win or lose this battle, you know you've still won the war: You may _fight_ with them, but they have to _be_ them.


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## UberAris (Jan 4, 2007)

Nice e-mail! Glad that you contacted them, that first line with the kids voice 

"Being fat doesn't just hurt you, it hurts the people around you, too."

wow... disgusting how far these people will go to earn a buck.


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## Buffie (Jan 4, 2007)

FreeThinker said:


> Win or lose this battle, you know you've still won the war: You may _fight_ with them, but they have to _be_ them.



Point very well made. 

Can you imagine trying to sleep at night if you were behind that ad campaign or if you worked for that company? ~puke~


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## Buffie (Jan 4, 2007)

UberAris said:


> Nice e-mail! Glad that you contacted them, that first line with the kids voice
> 
> "Being fat doesn't just hurt you, it hurts the people around you, too."
> 
> wow... disgusting how far these people will go to earn a buck.



Thanks! =) 

Have any of you had the displeasure of hearing the ad? The kid-voice aspect just gives the whole ad this creepy, greasy quality. Groooooss.


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## UberAris (Jan 4, 2007)

Buffie said:


> Have any of you had the displeasure of hearing the ad? The kid-voice aspect just gives the whole ad this creepy, greasy quality. Groooooss.



Haven't heard the ad, but when I read that it was a child's voice, the first thing to pop into my head was "children of the corn"


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## Seth Warren (Jan 4, 2007)

You've done the right thing in writing about your disgust with this ad. Money talks and your letter indicates to the company responsible for the ad that they may lose a potential customer and to the radio stations that they may lose a potential listener (whether or not this is actually true). A few more letters like this from like-minded people would definitely get the ad pulled. As an aside: this forum would be a great springboard to start such a movement, as their seems to be no lack of like-minded people. Large corporations are skittish when it comes to the potential for revenue loss and easily scared into removing content which might offend those who would otherwise be spending their dollars on their products.

If a group of teenage girls can stop Abercrombie & Fitch from selling a certain T-shirt line, you can get an offensive ad pulled from the airwaves. Godspeed. :bow:


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## Ruby Ripples (Jan 4, 2007)

I would just like to say thankyou to you Buffie for doing something here. I get SO fed up of people moaning and complaining about issues, yet doing absolutely nothing to change them. 

I don't usually do resolutions, but I think this year I will complain more! lol and I mean in the way you have, after all... if we don't complain, they don't know anyone has a problem with it! 

Best of luck!


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## Buffie (Jan 5, 2007)

Seth Warren said:


> You've done the right thing in writing about your disgust with this ad. Money talks and your letter indicates to the company responsible for the ad that they may lose a potential customer and to the radio stations that they may lose a potential listener (whether or not this is actually true). A few more letters like this from like-minded people would definitely get the ad pulled. As an aside: this forum would be a great springboard to start such a movement, as their seems to be no lack of like-minded people. Large corporations are skittish when it comes to the potential for revenue loss and easily scared into removing content which might offend those who would otherwise be spending their dollars on their products.
> 
> If a group of teenage girls can stop Abercrombie & Fitch from selling a certain T-shirt line, you can get an offensive ad pulled from the airwaves. Godspeed. :bow:



Good info, Seth. You nailed it on big business. 

Teens vs. Abercrombie and winning? Get right outta town! I'm going to have to check into that and see if I can steal any of their 'moves'.


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## Buffie (Jan 5, 2007)

Ruby Ripples said:


> I would just like to say thankyou to you Buffie for doing something here. I get SO fed up of people moaning and complaining about issues, yet doing absolutely nothing to change them.
> 
> I don't usually do resolutions, but I think this year I will complain more! lol and I mean in the way you have, after all... if we don't complain, they don't know anyone has a problem with it!
> 
> Best of luck!



You're welcome Ruby.  

I think you have a very interesting resolution. Complaining, when valid, is a beneficial thing. It provides information which may have been previously unknown to the offending party; and sometimes the complainer comes away better off than he or she might have expected. 

A closed mouth never gets fed. Isn't that how the saying goes? :blush: Is is my Okie showing? 

Occasionally we do moan and groan. I know I'm guilty of that. You know how it is though... having a bitch fit every now and then just feels good! 
:happy:


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## HotBBWnKC (Jan 8, 2007)

I always knew you were awesome!!! I hate diet ads, and if I heard that one I would be furious. I have done a lot of work for Clear Channel/Live Nation. Funny thing is, a lot of their main concert producers are overweight. I think it's great they have diversity in the aspect that I am familiar with and I bet you that nobody even really listened to the ad before it was played on air. Gotta love budget cuts and a companies ability to be irresponsible without fault. You go girl!!


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## Buffie (Jan 8, 2007)

HotBBWnKC said:


> I always knew you were awesome!!! I hate diet ads, and if I heard that one I would be furious. I have done a lot of work for Clear Channel/Live Nation. Funny thing is, a lot of their main concert producers are overweight. I think it's great they have diversity in the aspect that I am familiar with and I bet you that nobody even really listened to the ad before it was played on air. Gotta love budget cuts and a companies ability to be irresponsible without fault. You go girl!!



Awww! Thanks girlfriend. 

Check out this article I found the other day...

... Please forgive the funky breaks, it copied and pasted oddly.



> Bayer, others settle with U.S. over weight-loss ads
> Thu Jan 4, 2007 2:38pm ET
> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bayer AG and several smaller companies agreed to
> pay
> ...


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## HeatherBBW (Jan 8, 2007)

I am surprisingly shocked after reading what you said they said in the ad. The kid thing is just stooping to a whole new level - I know I shouldn't be shocked - but dammit.. I am! Good for you, your letter and for them responding!


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## EtobicokeFA (Jan 8, 2007)

Good job! These diet ads are really pushing their scare tactics!


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## Zandoz (Jan 8, 2007)

When I saw Clear Channel involved, my first reaction was "par for the course". The big Clear Channel station here is pretty relentless with their fat bashing...a very common theme is "______ (fill in the blank) social program should be done away with because of all the fat people are proof it's not needed". Alluding to the idea that if you're fat, why would you go out in public is also not uncommon. Not only with fat, but in general, their tactic is to blatantly flame any one or any group that does not tow their line or fit their ideal. Generally they pride themselves in taking their abuse right to the fine line of being legally actionable.

One point of note....Clear Channel is in the process of being sold...I believe part of the process involves the FCC taking and considering comments from the public on this sale. It may be worth looking into the possibility of adding your thoughts to the public record on their conduct.


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## Buffie (Jan 9, 2007)

Thank you Heather, Etobicoke and Zandoz. I wrote to Clear Channel again today and put a Read Receipt on the email, which I received as "read" a few hours later. So I know SOMEONE saw it. Whether they'll continue to ignore me is yet to be seen. As for the Every Old Do Nothing Diet people, I found what appears to be a corporate or office address on their website:
Evolutionary Health Products
Suite 373
369 Montezuma Avenue 
Santa Fe, NM 87501-2626

Where are the NM peeps? Does anyone know anything about this address? Is it an actually office park location or is it just a drop box somewhere? It may say "Suite" but that could mean almost anything. Thanks for the info!

In the meantime, here's ANOTHER little nugget of interest. (I'm not even looking for this stuff, I swear! It just finds me.)

From the State Net Capitol Journal (this week's edition):



> SNCJ Spotlight
> The next issue of Capitol Journal will be available on January 15th.
> Volume XV, No. 1
> 
> ...



The state names are capitalized because State Net is a legislative/regulatory information service and its part of their schtick.


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## Seth Warren (Jan 11, 2007)

Buffie said:


> Evolutionary Health Products
> Suite 373
> 369 Montezuma Avenue
> Santa Fe, NM 87501-2626
> ...



A little Googling indicates that the building is a standard office complex with multiple businesses renting/leasing. Here's a map.


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## Buffie (Jan 14, 2007)

Thanks for the info, Seth. I got nothing back from Clear Channel or OneDay Junk Diet, so I'm going to call XM and ask what their Clear Channel liason had to say and I'm also going to let them know that Clear Channel ignored me. As for the manufacturer, I'm going to send a certified letter and see what happens. ~shrugs~

It looks like it isn't going to go anywhere and Clear Channel doesn't give a shit about their listeners, but at least I can still say that I didn't just try, but I tried really hard. =)


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## crazygrad (Jan 14, 2007)

a group of teenage girls got A&F to pull their "bad attitude Ts," which featured slogans like "who needs brains when you have these?" a while ago.

Of course, some folks tried to minimize how offensive some of the slogans were by rumor mongoring that some of the girls in the protest were lesbians (which I guess invalidates the sexism of the slogans to some people).


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## squeezablysoft (Oct 25, 2017)

It's even more unsettling when you look into what "The Every Other Day Diet" actually is. Basically you only eat every other day, I.e. you're starving yourself half the time. Pretty sure that's at least as unhealthy as being overweight,
if not more so. Gotta admit it does work though, whenever I try to lose weight for some reason *cough* pressure from anti-fat family *cough*, being a super shorty with a physical disability that precludes most forms of exercise, and having the muscle mass and metabolism of a Jello mold, some form of fasting is about the ONLY way I can experience any significant weight loss. It hardcore sucks.


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## TwoSwords (Oct 26, 2017)

squeezablysoft said:


> It's even more unsettling when you look into what "The Every Other Day Diet" actually is. Basically you only eat every other day, I.e. you're starving yourself half the time. Pretty sure that's at least as unhealthy as being overweight,
> if not more so. Gotta admit it does work though, whenever I try to lose weight for some reason *cough* pressure from anti-fat family *cough*, being a super shorty with a physical disability that precludes most forms of exercise, and having the muscle mass and metabolism of a Jello mold, some form of fasting is about the ONLY way I can experience any significant weight loss. It hardcore sucks.



I fast sometimes myself, but not to lose weight.
I'm surprised, however, to hear you say that this method works. Eating intermittently has a history of screwing up people's metabolisms.


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## squeezablysoft (Oct 27, 2017)

I have heard that "starvation mode" theory, apparently even plain old dieting can sometimes cause it, hence the practically universal tendency of ppl to gain back all their lost weight plus bonus pounds. Have also heard that this is a myth, for example if it's true, why aren't ppl in Third World nations who are (involuntarily) starving fat? 

But at any rate, when your "ideal" weight for your height and your daily calorie needs are much lower than the average dieters, it makes things a bit tougher and changes some rules of the dieting game. For example most nutrition experts advice against ever dropping the daily intake below 1200 calories, but for me 1200 a day theoretically would be maintenance intake for a BMI that's just on the edge between normal and overweight, a weight at which I still look quite flabby and fat due to my height and shape and also low muscle mass producing the "skinny fat" effect.
But the reality is I seem to require even fewer calories than predicted, I can't even seem to lose a pound a month and keep that going with anything over 800 calories a day. I have had a habit of skipping meals off and on since high school though, so I guess it's possible I've already done some metabolic damage to myself.

This becomes an even bigger problem in my case because my appetite is WAY out of proportion to my dietary needs. Last year when I was letting myself eat completely freely with no restrictions, I was easily taking in 3000-4000+ calories each day. So eating somewhere around 1000 calories at a time is what feels best for me, assuming the standard 3 meals a day with the occasional snack. But now if I'm trying to diet, going down to having less all day than I want to have in one meal is most unpleasant. And eating tiny little 200-300 calorie meals that don't come close to satisfying me almost feels worse than just not eating at all, like a tease or something. 

So for me the most workable way to diet is to have a period of time when I just try to forget food exists as best I can, then eat a day or two of allotted food at one meal, so at least for a little while after this I feel satisfied. I also try to have this meal as late in the day as possible since 1. Despite everyone saying breakfast is the most important meal and you can't lose weight without it, I find if I start the day by eating I just want to eat all day long and 2. I have trouble falling asleep when I'm hungry, so I like to have my one big satisfying meal in the evening and go to bed full.


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## loopytheone (Oct 27, 2017)

...that sounds absolutely awful, no offense SqueezablySoft. I'd honestly rather not be alive at all than have to live starving myself. Also, from a health perspective I'd have to agree with TwoSwords that fasting is a bad idea. I'm not gonna go any further into this topic as I had an eating disorder in the past that involved half-starving myself and it made me so ill that I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy and talking about such things is kinda upsetting to me.


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## squeezablysoft (Oct 27, 2017)

Sometimes I think I ought to talk to a nutritionist or something, I've brought up the whole weight/diet issue with a couple different doctors but they didn't really seem interested beyond saying I could probably lose a few pounds. Don't know how I'd deal with the part where I actually enjoy and want to be fat, do I even bring that up and if so, how? But my unusual physical difficulties aside, being an F/FA in a fat hating world does tend to lead to a kind of split mind that is difficult to live with. And especially being fat oneself, most especially being a fat female, makes it all super personal and wreaks havoc on your self-image and self-esteem.


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## TwoSwords (Oct 27, 2017)

squeezablysoft said:


> I have heard that "starvation mode" theory, apparently even plain old dieting can sometimes cause it, hence the practically universal tendency of ppl to gain back all their lost weight plus bonus pounds. Have also heard that this is a myth, for example if it's true, why aren't ppl in Third World nations who are (involuntarily) starving fat?



Well, it's not a myth, first off. There was a young lady I met in a previous job who, according to her, had been about a hundred pounds heavier than she wanted at some point in the past. She struggled to diet with all her might, and as a consequence, experienced this very thing. Nine times. When I first met her, she could not have weighed less than 550 lbs, probably closer to 600 or more, and she told me this was what had led up to it.

Secondly, the reason why this doesn't happen in Third World nations, or other locations where people starve involuntarily is that there's no second "yo" to balance out the first one. Putting it simply, the metabolism is altered by dieting, so that when the person is able to eat normally, it stays altered and absorbs more of what they eat. For a person who has no opportunity to switch back to "plenty" from "little," the process can't even get off the ground.



squeezablysoft said:


> I have had a habit of skipping meals off and on since high school though, so I guess it's possible I've already done some metabolic damage to myself.



That's possible.



squeezablysoft said:


> But now if I'm trying to diet, going down to having less all day than I want to have in one meal is most unpleasant.



I would never even attempt such a thing. Even on fasting days, my lowest intake is slightly under half the amount I would normally eat at meals.



squeezablysoft said:


> And eating tiny little 200-300 calorie meals that don't come close to satisfying me almost feels worse than just not eating at all, like a tease or something.



Very close. The body notices the first bits of food, and from that, expects nourishment, so the stomach starts digesting, but runs out before it can finish the job.



squeezablysoft said:


> So for me the most workable way to diet is to have a period of time when I just try to forget food exists as best I can, then eat a day or two of allotted food at one meal, so at least for a little while after this I feel satisfied. I also try to have this meal as late in the day as possible since 1. Despite everyone saying breakfast is the most important meal and you can't lose weight without it, I find if I start the day by eating I just want to eat all day long and 2. I have trouble falling asleep when I'm hungry, so I like to have my one big satisfying meal in the evening and go to bed full.



I usually have my largest meal at dinner time on my own fasting days as well. However, the sorts of irregular eating habits that you describe are strongly correlated with many health issues (though not as strongly as extreme weight loss is.) That's not my primary reason for not wanting to try them myself, but it's up there. I would encourage you to do further research on this topic before pursuing this course further. You may find that there are many other ways to solve your problems, if any.

For instance, I had blood pressure issues late last year. I switched from soda to seltzer, started going for walks more often, and within three months, my blood pressure was normal. Sometimes, it's not how much you eat, but some other factor that makes the biggest difference.


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