A woman has gone viral on TikTok after calling out CVS for selling greeting cards that congratulate weight loss.
The video featured TikTok user Alex Joy Pucci (@alexjoypucci) standing inside a CVS. “You guys, look what I just found in CVS,” she said before unveiling a blue and yellow greeting card that read “Weigh to go!” on the outside.
The TikToker then picked up the card and opened it. The inside said, “Your hard work really shows!” with an illustration of a scale that read “Yay!”
“I’ll take things that don’t need to exist’ for 100!” Pucci wrote in a text overlay.
She also vented her frustration in the video’s caption, “Can we just NOT? The number on a scale is arbitrary and does not define you, period. Non-scale wins are where it’s at!”
@alexjoypucci Can we just NOT? The number on a scale is arbitrary and does not define you, period. Non-scale wins are where it’s at! #nonscalevictory #weightlossdoesntsolveeverything #antidiet #intuitiveeating ♬ original sound – Alex Joy Pucci
The video garnered over 218,000 views within 24 hours. In the comments section, many viewers expressed displeasure with the card.
“I lost over 100lbs and a card like this would’ve set me over the edge this is horrific,” one viewer wrote.
“I’ve lost 135 lbs and if someone got this for me I’d snap,” a second remarked.
“Imagine receiving this. I would cry and not happy tears,” a third stated.
However, others said they would’ve been happy to receive the card.
“I think that’s great, I’d love to receive a card acknowledging my hard work if I’ve been trying to lose weight,” one user commented.
“I’ve been a yo yo dieter for 40 years. it is hard work. I’m not offended,” a second agreed.
“I’m on a fitness journey and have lost 40lbs so far. I’d love it if someone got this for me!” a third said.
This isn’t the first time this card has been spotted. “My coworker gave me that same card three years ago. After I was diagnosed with autoimmune disease that caused me to lose over 50 lbs,” one viewer shared.
And according to Refinery29, public speaker Zoe Ellis also found the card in 2020 and was less than thrilled.
“I understand why people may want to congratulate others for losing weight, however, we never know the full story,” Ellis told Refinery29. “So many different things can cause someone to lose weight: eating disorders, depression, and even cancer. Before congratulating weight loss we need to be asking, ‘Are you okay?'”
She continued. “I was congratulated over and over again when I lost weight; little did people realize I had an eating disorder that damaged my heart, nearly killing me. The constant congratulations just cheered on that voice encouraging me to lose more, helping that voice make me believe my worth was all to do with my weight. Seeing this card brings back all those feelings.”
During an interview with the Daily Dot, Pucci shared that she found the card at a CVS in New York City. Seeing it upset her because of her work as an eating counselor and body image coach.
“As a certified intuitive eating counselor and body image coach, I worked with hundreds of women around the world, and something that I know to be true is the toll, a weight loss attempt can take on a person,” she shared via Instagram direct message. “In the short term, it might be gratifying, especially if it’s intentional, but in the long term it can cause some pretty nasty repercussions.”
What really hit a nerve was how the card focused on the number on the scale.
“So, when I see a card like this, that is so specifically focused on the number on a scale, and congratulating that specific thing, rather than congratulating a set of behaviors, like moving more or eating more nutrient dense foods, it makes me sad, because the emphasis on the wrong thing, and it can be really detrimental to someone’s mental health,” she said.
Despite seeing the card, Pucci said she still plans on shopping at CVS. She also addressed commenters’ questions about what she did with the card, saying she placed it back in its spot instead of hiding it.
The Daily Dot contacted CVS via press email for more information.
