The moment we saw this “sexy” costume glamorizing eating disorders, we knew we couldn’t just let it go—so we took action! SPARK director Dana Edell started a petition on Change.Org asking Halloween Store to remove the costume from both its online store AND its shelves in Memphis, TN:

Today, 12 million people are suffering from eating disorders. Trick R Treat Costumes/HalloweenStore.com is trivializing and mocking this serious, life-threatening disease by selling an offensive, tasteless costume called “Anna Rexia,” encouraging women to wear a sexualizing, skin-tight, skeleton-themed dress with a matching measuring tape belt around the waist.

Their website raves, “‘Make no bones about it – this dress will spark some conversations.” We couldn’t agree more! The conversation SPARK, a movement committed to ending the sexualization of girls, wants to have is about how destructive it can be to mock and sexualize eating disorders. The American Psychological Association released a report that proves that sexualization diminishes girls’ self-esteem and mental health, decreases their academic achievement in every subject and increases sexism among boys and men.

Additionally, 3 in every 100 American women suffers from an eating disorder which is the leading cause of death for girls ages 15-24! Not funny at all.

Halloween Store heard us almost immediately—within five hours of our petition launching, they promised to remove the costume not only from their online store, but also from their shelves! And not only that, they promised to never sell it again!

THANK YOU to everyone who helped us bring this costume to light, and to Halloween Store for responding so quickly and sending a message that eating disorders are not a joke!