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Yesterday, we reported on Urban Outfitters' newest statement t-shirt: a gray v-neck with the words "Eat Less" printed on it. The item was pulled from the chain's website by last night, but it turns out that you can still find it in stores.

We called several Manhattan Urban Outfitters locations and one sales associates confirmed that the store had the t-shirts in stock, but only in larger sizes. However, a sales associate at another store said they hadn't yet received their shipment of "Eat Less" t-shirts.

Urban Outfitters' public relations did not return the Huffington Post's phone calls regarding the matter.

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Comments

[Kirsten O]

As someone with an eating disorder, I find this shirt incredibly triggering. Anyone who believes this shirt is okay is essentially saying that it is okay to trigger someone with an eating disorder. Though most of our nation IS obese and most people don't have eating disorders, it is still wrong. Imagine if a shirt was in support of cancer (not cancer research, but cancer itself). There would be outrage.

[Molly Koch]

I'm sorry, but if this shirt was intended to have any form of positive message whatsoever, even for America, "EAT LESS" wouldn't be on it, especially when a tiny, non-curvaceous, unsmiling model wears it to advertise. The model looks to be maybe 13 or 14.. and let me tell you, teens are extremely vulnerable.
I'm not saying this shirt influences eating disorders, but teens who in majority already have problems with self esteem will maybe take this the wrong way. EAT LESS, coming from the media in this way, tends to become GO ON A FAD DIET SO YOU CAN BE SKINNY for those who have seen the average model- in majority, clinically underweight.
Now, since some people seem to see the side that obesity is very common in America, this shirt to me is STILL not giving out the right message. If this was promoting weight-management, the shirt should say something like "EAT IN MODERATION" which tells the general public to take care of your body... because some who are already eating less may need to be eating more.. and all of that is up to their doctor, not a Tshirt.
Oh, and the sizes don't help the case much, either. I was obese as a child. I now fight Anorexia Nervosa daily - 3 years actually. Clothing doesn't pass on an eating disorder, but unhealthy environments can impact one.
Large or small, how about "EAT HEALTHY" or "HEALTHY BODY = HEALTHY MIND."

???

[kimmyleigh194]

If someone, no matter what their age or gender, has an eating disorder it should NOT be blamed on a t-shirt! I'm sure the people on here commenting about how awful this is are all obese and SHOULD eat less! This is the most gluttonous country on the planet. And this is NOT a political issue...too many ignorant people with internet access and nothing better to do but blog. I'm sure you're one of the many unemployed losers our tax dollars are supporting!

[missmary8584]

I am in NO WAY blaming a this T-shirt for causing eating disorders, I am just saying that it is triggering to those who already have them....and could easily hurt the feelings of girls who don't fit the "perfect ideal" and make them feel bad about themselves. Personally I am not obese, I am a normal weight for my height and within my BMI range. I am also not on unemployment or using any of our government's program's right now for support. So not everybody on here making comments falls into those categories.

[missmary8584]

Ok....I can somewhat see both sides of this. I understand where people are coming from with the obesity issue. Yes, many Americans are overweight. However, the target market for these shirts is teenagers and young women. A HUGE issue amongst this age group is Eating Disorders. My guess would be that obesity is more of an issue amongst people in there thirties and above, I know this is a generalization and not true of all people but it is a time when the metabolism slows, and people can start gaining more weight. I myself suffered with severe Anorexia nervosa from the age of 17-22. So to me, this shirt screams "red flag" for Eating Disorders. I just think if a shirt like this were to be made, it could have been made with a bit more class, and not so in your face. For instance, i know that when you join gyms or fitness centers you can get T-shirts from them....isin't that enough?

[exile]

lol
so
only XL tee's available ??

[nomadsborker]

I don't get it. What's the problem with these tee's???

[freaktown]

i dont understand this controversy. are there people who actually think that americans don't need to EAT LESS? what with like a third of our population morbidly obese?

[2centsplain]

Some people out there are really taking themselves too seriously.
Where can I get one of these?

[doglove]

let me know if you find one, because I want one too.

It has become a freedom of speech, expression issue for me now.

If these people are really so emotionally unstable, that a tee shirt is going to send them into a binge, then they need to put on blinders.
Some stats on Obesity and Anorexia:

* Percent of noninstitu­tionalized adults age 20 years and over who are overweight or obese: 67% (2005-2006)
* Percent of noninstitu­tionalized adults age 20 years and over who are obese: 34% (2005-2006)
* Percent of adolescents age 12-19 years who are overweight: 18% (2005-2006)
* Percent of children age 6-11 years who are overweight: 15% (2005-2006)
* Percent of children age 2-5 years who are overweight: 11% (2005-2006)

******************************
Eating disorders are so common in America that 1 or 2 out of every 100 students will struggle with one.

So okay America, do we need to eat more or EAT LESS

[cabrobst]

But some girls should eat less. Make it available only in x-large and larger.

[cheeseandsnark]

Some dudes should eat less too. I see your point, but it is phrased in a sexist fashion.

[samantha590]

that's DISGUSTING. of course some people should eat less. not just girls, men too. but
marketing a t shirt towards them in a specific size that says "eat less" is not the way to go about making a change. how would you feel if you saw something with that message and it was only available in your size? making someone feel terrible and worthless doesn't encourage them to change. that's a disgusting idea. they could have made a shirt with a positive message if what they were really trying to get across was that americans have health problems, but they were trying to be "witty and cool" and opted for something that is potentially very damaging.

[KIVPossum]

What a world we have. It's OK to sell a toddler t-shrit saying 'My mom f...ks on the first date' but not one saying 'eat less'.

[wind-upbird]

What is WRONG with all of you??? It's a really wonderful thing that this shirt has been pulled! Urban Outfitters markets their clothing to young women, many of whom surely have body image issues already. (Not-so-)fun fact-- 1 in 5 people with anorexia dies as a result of the eating disorder. A shirt like this can trigger serious feelings of insecurity and self-hatred. And this shirt doesn't say, "Exercise more", or "Eat healthy", or even, "Fat people should eat less." There's nothing outright healthy about phrase "Eat less."

And it's not only fat Americans who see this shirt in stores and on other women. It's everyone who walks by this shirt, or someone wearing it, including young women who are already bombarded by messages telling them they should hate their bodies every single day.

This shirt is irresponsible and cruel and it's a good thing they at LEAST took it off their website.

[doglove]

Isn't 3/4 of America obese?

Isn't obesity rampant in our youth?

"Eat Less" can be and is a statement about world hunger. We are the most overfed country there ever was. Open you eyes.

One of five anorexics dies of it ? Okay, I believe you but you didn't include the ratio of anorexics to the general public. I will bet you one large, that there are way more obese people than anorexics.

[nomadsborker]

"I will bet you one large, that there are way more obese people than anorexics."


LOL, that made me laugh. Maybe all the anorexics are just standing behind the fatties of the world and can't be seen?

Well, time for a snack...

[Molly Koch]

That doesn't mean that people with eating disorders don't deserve to get help and LIVE, just because there are a lot of obese people around. No life is more valuable than another! If you had one child fighting cancer, and one child with a tapeworm taking over.. which one would you save? The cancer patient?.. just because there are MORE of them?

I'll have you know that I've been obese AND now am fighting Anorexia Nervosa. Should I eat more or should I eat less? Does it make sense that even though I am starved and fighting it, I should eat less anyway, to save more important people?Should I simply die from eating less now because there are other starving people in the world? Or I can just die right now so people can tend to helping the obese Americans.

The shirt just doesn't make sense! EAT IN MODERATION would make so much more sense... because it implies that everyone needs to take care of their nutrition in the RIGHT way! There's too many sides to it, and EAT LESS may not be a very good thing for many people! Just remember that America doesn't consist of 100% obese people. And if this shirt was advocating for the solution to world hunger... shouldn't it be more specific, like EAT LESS FOR THE HUNGRY CHILDREN IN ___. or something?????

Have I opened my eyes enough yet?

[KIVPossum]

The 'body issues' most women have is how to fit their size 20 buns on a McDs stool.

[TheStreamAlwaysWins]

funneeee

[nomadsborker]

Fanned.

[2centsplain]

Yeh, let's replace it with "Stupidity Sucks". We will give you the first one.

[cheeseandsnark]

What we have are a lot of people who want a group of people that they can scapegoat. Because it is no longer acceptable to scapegoat people for their race, now they are trying to work the angle of scapegoating people for their size. Shaming people for being overweight DOES NOT WORK! And as I pointed out before, the shirt is on an absolutely anorexic-looking model. The use of abnormally skinny models leads NORMAL WEIGHT women to see themselves as fat and so the cycle of eating disorders begins.
I have a history of bulimia. At this point, I do need to lose weight, but when I was bulimic, I was normal weight. (130 pounds at 5'5" tall and a big-boned frame.) I thought I was grossly obese. I contributed to screwing up my metabolism by starving myself and forcing myself to vomit.
At this point in my life I am old and mean enough that seeing an emaciated girl in a t-shirt that says "eat less" only inspires me to say "okay, here, you eat my lunch. Because Babe, you need to freaking EAT SOMETHING!" I refuse to let such a thing make me feel ashamed. But I was young once, and I know the way young women think. An item such as this shirt will only make them hate themselves more rather than inspire them to healthier habits.

[doglove]

I'm sorry you had such a hard time with your illness. You're probably around my age. I remember when Twiggy was the look and I was that thin. I don't think this model looks that emaciated.
World hunger is actually a larger issue than anorexia in America. And it is a fact that the majority of Americans eat way too much. Obesity is rampant.
I am a vegetarian and committed to animal rights issues and others (peeps too), so this
shirt from my perspective was cool.

I don't know the percentages of anorexics vs. general public or vegetarians vs. general public, but neither are huge, I would guess. Obesity on the other hand is killing Americans every day bigtime.

Those "drink milk" ads are offensive to me, but I would never try to ban or censor them.

[nomadsborker]

Chillax already. In the grand scheme of things, "eat less" should hardly be one of your greatest concerns.

I still don't see anything wrong with the tee. Most of America, including myself right there at the top of the list, could do with some less eating. This would be a great reminder for us fatties when worn or seen by others.

[doglove]

fanned for honesty!

[KristaPeck]

Good. I am guessing that this shirt was more for shock value than for the good of Americans. Dangerous advertising, and I am in agreement with my mommy friends in regards to that.

[Sara Ashley Gharagozlou]

well...we all know why they pulled the shirts off for sale so lets not pretend that it was a good idea to print a t-shirt that says "eat less", i mean, wtf

[jaqula]

People SHOULD eat less! America is FAT! I was a fat teenager and fought weight for years. I joined every weight loss organization that there was. It wasn't until I gained an awareness that gluttony is not healthy and started EATING LESS and eating HEALTHY that the weight melted off. My father died of stomach cancer...he lived to eat and he ate like a pig. That was twenty years ago. Once you stop making food the center of your Universe you'd be suprised to see how your body adjusts itself to it's ideal weight.

People are STARVING around the world...we don't need to make food a national past time! EAT HEALTHY, EAT IDENTIFIABLE FOODS AND EAT LESS!
You'll live longer!

[DenvrLib]

Thank you! Fanned. A large proportion of Americans are overweight or obese which has been linked to everything from Diabetes to Heart Disease. People need to stop being so sensitive because the shirt is correct. To the people offended by it, did you think Urban Outfitters was supporting Anorexia Nervosa? Come on.

Eating healthy doesn't have to be difficult, or taste bad. Once you surround yourself with better options at home, your body will naturally start to crave those things like an apple instead of a sleeve of Oreo cookies to snack on.

How much Americans eat is just one half of the equation. The other half is limited exercise. Get off the couch and do something active everyday. Doesn't matter what. Walk if that's all you can do. Park further away when running errands, or if you can ride a bike for those errands. Even 10 minutes of light exercise has been show to increase your metabolic rate for the next hour.

[doglove]

And I'll be your second fan. I posted similar thoughts above.

We are the fattest country ever while half the world starves.

"Eat Less" would be a very cathartic message for America.

[nomadsborker]

3rd fan here.

Growing up in the 70's and 80's I can specifically remember the one or two kids who were overweight in a whole classroom. Now when I go to my kids classrooms at least half, if not more, of the kids are overweight. WTF happened???? And we're not talking 10 - 20 or even 30 lbs. overweight, some of these kids, 4th graders in this case, are ginormous!!!!!!! Hell, I'm a full grown man, who is slighlty over weight, and some of these kids had to weight more than me. Sad...

[zeppelingirl89]

I don't get the big deal over the shirt. Its way more appropriate than some of the messages I see on teenagers shirts like "unwrap me I'm boy candy" etc....
I don't get why our society is afraid of the truth. For every person out there that needs to eat a sandwich, there are about eight more that need to lay off of them. Moderation is key.

[doglove]

yes, of course.

How about "hottie" across the bottom of a thirteen year old. I don't see anyone wanting to ban sexually provocative shirts.

so, lets' just ban this shirt (freedom of speech ?) and pretend obesity isn't our greatest health destructor.