Health Ministry deletes ‘fat shaming’, ‘vegetarianism’ tweet after Twitter outrage

The image used by the social media team of Health Ministry is a stock image and many argued it is factually wrong.

The Ministry of Health drew flak on Twitter on Monday (April 23) after it shared one image trying to advice good food options to Netizens. Posting a photo that featured two women — one overweight, depicting non-veg and processed food items and another skinny one with fruits and vegetables, it asked “What’s your choice?” No matter what the actual intent of the tweet was, it irked Tweeple on multiple accounts. While some said it ‘fat-shammed’ women others thought it was another form to propagate vegetarianism.

Sharing the photo on Twitter, the social media team of the ministry wrote, “Good nutrition is one of the keys to a #healthy life. Choose wisely, live well.” The photo of the obese woman also included items like alcohol and aerated drinks.

The lean woman, on the other hand, featured scores of vegetables and fruits, including some avocado and raspberries and many, slammed the ministry for advising ‘healthy options’ for the rich.

Many slammed the ministry and asked what was the basis of this projection that showed non-vegetarian food options like eggs, poultry as unhealthy eating choices. “Stupidity at highest!!! Is Egg ?? and Cheese ?? unhealthy? which scientific study proved it? Moreover where do Poor Indians get Kiwi/Avocado Fruits and Berries? Or is it ment to be for RICH People? ?? As far as all scientific study all packaged foods are bad or unhealthy!!!,” tweeted another user.

Is Egg unhealthy? If so, Dhara Singh, Dharmendra, Sachin, Saina etc should all apologise to 1.3 Billion Indians for promoting this fake news created by NECC. pic.twitter.com/iNq6E3TsFV

— Unofficial Sususwamy (@swamv39) April 23, 2018

Note that all the unhealthy foods are firangi. And, of course, there is no place for meat or fish in a healthy diet.

— Edward Anderson (@edanderson101) April 23, 2018

Systematically creating health associations with vegetarianism. Depicting egg, meat and poultry as unhealthy, pairing with fast food choices such as soda. Focus should be on a balanced diet. Where is the evidence on this? We know what narrative you are weaving here @MoHFW_INDIA https://t.co/v0IShu3cNp

— Dr. Sumaiya Shaikh (@Neurophysik) April 23, 2018

So now @MoHFW_INDIA is resorting to body shaming tactics to promote ‘vegetarianism’. pic.twitter.com/CZFbLtP3rZ

— #BourgeoisieMuktBharat 🇮🇳 (@DatNaxalite) April 23, 2018

Now, @MoHFW_INDIA quietly deletes fat shaming and food fascism tweet.

This is what happens when you recruit from IT cell. pic.twitter.com/yih2YpVJqQ

— Tarique Anwer (@tanwer_m) April 23, 2018

What a wrong image to show healthy body!@MoHFW_INDIA, obesity doesn’t happen just because of unhealthy eating! And with the size 0 figure here, are you recommending the yogi diet to youth? Where is protein meat, fish & egg? Pls don’t spread crap, and push youth into malnutrition pic.twitter.com/8nsvHlKSDb

— Anand RM (@AnandRM_) April 23, 2018

Whoever made this, he is nuts. When did egg become unhealthy.? So they wanna say veg is healthy and non veg is unhealthy. And body shape doesn’t always tell you the true state of one’s health. Seriously this govt needs to study ad stop behaving like illiterates.

— ANSH… (@ImAnshS6) April 23, 2018

1. It’s trying to implement Vedic bullshit on a diversity of people.
2. Non veg is bad, veg is good.
3. Body shaming the + size women.
4. They never stop to amaze us with their regressive ideologies.

— Nietzsche (@DesiNietzsche) April 23, 2018

Corn is not really healthy! Carbs n proteins are must. Eggs, milk, nonveg imp source of protein

— Umesh Jain (@jainumesh) April 23, 2018

Ministry of health be body shaming #TrollBait pic.twitter.com/w0roKWXuX0

— Harridan (@brawling_virago) April 23, 2018

@MoHFW_INDIA You mean Non veg khaoge to healthy aur fit rahoge aur Veg khaoge to single pasli rahoge.. 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/A0CWyUThSq

— Aatif Khan (@AatifKh96914765) April 23, 2018

Although the tweet was deleted shortly it started receiving negative response, it’s screenshot started doing rounds on the microblogging site.

So you mean a fat body is not healthy & beautiful? Is it not body shaming by Modi Govt.?

where is @NCWIndia @FeminismInIndia @SwatiJaiHind @WomensHealthMag @Being_Humor

— Veg Momo (@veg_momo) April 23, 2018

One user went further and found the source of the image. “So, Ministry of Health @MoHFW_INDIA picks up a stock photo which portray eggs, poultry, meat and bread as unhealthy and tweets that as health advice,” the user tweeted.

So, Ministry of Health @MoHFW_INDIA picks up a stock photo which portray eggs, poultry, meat and bread as unhealthy and tweets that as health advice.

Link to the stock photo website: https://t.co/cTUlaoTPuC

And they’ve quietly deleted their tweet now. pic.twitter.com/f7GhiLhgln

— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) April 23, 2018

The photo, copyrighted to Tatsiana Tsyhanova from Belarus, was taken from 123rf.com which offers millions of stock photos but with copyright. “And they’ve quietly deleted their tweet now,” the user added.

Amid all the buzz, the ministry’s Twitter handle did not issue an apology or address the concern.