Politics
YouTuber Eugenia Cooney’s fans sign petition to REMOVE her channel as ‘dangerously thin star promotes eating disorders’
YOUTUBER Eugenia Cooney’s fans have signed a petition to REMOVE her channel as the “dangerously thin star promotes eating disorders.”
A number of social media users took to Change.org to sign the petition titled Remove Eugenia Cooney from YouTube, Twitch, Instagram & Twitter.
YouTuber Eugenia Cooney’s fans signed a petition to REMOVE her channel[/caption]
Fans argued she ‘promotes eating disorders’[/caption]
The petition gave a detailed explanation about why fans want Eugenia removed from social media[/caption]
Eugenia- who’s an American internet influencer- has amassed over 2 million followers across the social media platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Twitch and more, while her content has received over 235.4 million views.
A number of fans have expressed their concern in the petition, which states that “Eugenia is incredibly underweight” and is “visibly suffering with an eating disorder.”
The petition explains: “In February 2019, Eugenia was assessed by medical professionals in regards to her low body weight and put on an involuntary treatment order or a 5150 – a 72 hour psychiatric hold – for assessment of her mental and physical health. Eugenia was subsequently hospitalized for what many speculate to be Anorexia Nervosa, a deadly eating disorder with the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.”
The YouTuber returned to the public eye in July 2019 alongside Shane Dawson in an hour-long documentary titled The Return of Eugenia Cooney.
Eugenia has over 2 million followers across her social media accounts[/caption]
Her content has received over 235.4 million views.[/caption]
According to the petition, “Eugenia speaks, vaguely, about her struggles with an eating disorder, however does not divulge which eating disorder she suffers from, nor does she encourage others to get help.”
The petition states that there has been “a steady decline in Eugenia’s physical appearance” since July 2019, while “Eugenia has stated that she weighs 38.8kg/84lbs at a height of 170cm tall or 5’7.”
Noting that she had a BMI of 13.1, the petition continued: “It is clear that Eugenia is suffering from a life threatening eating disorder and, at this time, is denying that she needs any help.”
Eugenia reportedly doesn’t eat or drink during her videos on Twitch, while she refers to those concerned after her low weight as “haters.”
The petition claimed Eugenia states that the fans concerned about her weight are ‘haters’[/caption]
The petition said Eugenia’s influence over her fans is ‘saddening’[/caption]
After stating that 9% of the population suffers from an eating disorder, the petition continued: “Aside from the concern that many have for Eugenia, that she may lose her life in the near future, it is also important to consider the impact that her illness is having on her audience. It is saddening to know that many young people look up to Eugenia and wish to look as she does: emaciated.”
The petition claimed that Eugenia “ignores” those that have reached out to help her and alleged that she is “unwilling to take accountability for her influence and actions.”
The writer behind the petition- who shared that they have also suffered from Anorexia Nervosa- wrote: “Until Eugenia engages in treatment and is willing to talk about her experience with an eating disorder, it is fair to say that she will continue to waste away in front of millions of people. These people are concerned for her health and safety, many of them reaching out to local authorities in her area. Unfortunately there is nothing that we, as outsiders, can do to help Eugenia.”
Eugenia’s fans are ‘concerned for her health and safety’[/caption]
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The petition continued: “It is for this reason that we ask YouTube, Twitch, Twitter and Instagram to step in and to take an active role in temporarily removing Eugenia from said platforms while she receives the help that she so desperately needs. Many people are afraid that Eugenia will pass away before she is able to receive treatment. By removing Eugenia from these platforms, she will no longer be bombarded with comments regarding her low weight, which only seem to encourage her eating disorder.”
Fans noted that they care about the YouTuber and her fans, writing: “This situation is more than a few concerned fans who are worried about Eugenia.
“While we are worried about her, we are also concerned about the impact that Eugenia is having on her audience and the detrimental effects of her content. At the end of the day, Eugenia is an influencer, and to have influence is to have, ‘the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself.’”
As of Tuesday night, the petition has been signed by 45,660 people.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the National Eating Disorders Association at 800-931-2237, or chat with volunteers online.
Many fans appear to be concerned for Eugenia’s health in light of her low weight[/caption]
