The Problem

Woolworths are currently stocking a diet product called Cheeky Little Sucker Lollipops by the brand Celebrity Slim Program. They are appetite suppressant lollipops with the tagline “Control your hunger now, look better later.” 

On top of being an extremely unhealthy product, this message delivered with this choice of language is explicitly triggering to those actively suffering from an eating disorder or those in recovery from one. Additionally, the packaging and branding could very easily be mistaken for a product targeted at children. 

You can see them on Woolworths' website here: https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/229073/celebrity-slim-lollipops

There are currently roughly 1 million Australians struggling with an eating disorder. Meanwhile, Woolworths recently reported record profits of $1.6 billion. 

Stocking such a damaging product displays a blatant disregard for the psyches of the 48% of Australians that choose to shop in their stores, and contribute to said record profits. 

With revenue at an all-time high, is the $10.99 really worth compromising the mental stability of society's most vulnerable people? 

In fact, thanks to ruthless inflation amid a cost of living crisis, banning this product is unlikely to make much of a difference at all, meaning profits can stay fat without gaslighting consumers into feeling it too. 

The Ask 

I am asking that Woolworths: 

• Remove “Cheeky Little Sucker Lollipops” from their product line with immediate effect.
• Review their weight-loss product line for other items that use triggering and damaging language in their branding. 

Banning this product sends the message that brands that choose to shamelessly commodify a disease that has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness worldwide won’t be given the privilege of a platform.

A letter sent directly to Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci 

Dear Brad,

You don’t know who I am, but I’m one of the millions of people that shop in Woolworths Australia everyday. I actually know exactly who you are thanks to my previous job as a copywriter for Endeavour Drinks Group before you de-merged. I received your company-wide recorded updates quarterly via email. Hi again.   

I wouldn’t expect you to know that because it’s not reasonable to think you could know everything happening in a company so massive. Which is actually why I’m writing to you. 

A few weeks ago I went to Woolies and noticed something that left such a big impression on me I felt the need to do exactly what I’m doing right now which is reach out to you directly. There is currently a product called ‘Cheeky Little Sucker Lollipops’ by Celebrity Slim Program being stocked on your shelves and available to buy right now. They’re hard to miss. Their packaging is a loud, bright pink hybrid of “reductive and for the girlies” and “fun for all the family”. I’ve included a picture of them here to take you on this ride with me. 

Taking a closer look, it’s a diet product. Not great, but nothing new. But it turns out that underneath all the fab-cutesey fun, they’re appetite suppressant lollipops with a harrowing tagline. 

“‘Control your hunger now, look better later.” 

Shockingly overt even for a diet product, don’t you think? It’s as though someone has mistakenly said the quiet part out loud, breaking the golden rule of “suggest don’t say”. 

But none of this is a mistake. Every element of this product will have had to have been approved by a LOT of people to make it onto the shelves of a supermarket. And now it’s been approved by someone else. You. 

 If the diet industry insists on existing, the least it can do is at least try and pretend to care about the psyches of the people it makes an (un)healthy profit off. This is an eating disorder dog-whistle wrapped up like dystopian Barbie merch.

Big retailers stocking products like this is a green-light for other brands to start using such overtly damaging language, because the deeper the shame, the bigger the profit, right?

This choice of words is either extremely triggering for anyone with an eating disorder, or an explicit invitation to develop one. And I won’t be the only person who’s seen them. Did you know that eating disorders are twice as common in women? Or that LGBTQIA+ individuals are six times more likely to have one? People, inevitably some much more vulnerable than others, are shopping in Woolworths as I write this being subliminally shamed by a stock decision. 

At best, selling this product is irresponsible. At worst it’s condoning the exploitative commodification of a disease that has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness worldwide. 

Do you see why these lollipops suck, Brad? 

Whilst we can’t expect companies whose survival depends on the ruthless demolition of self-esteem to ever do the right thing, I am asking that you do.