Lean Cuisine Launches #WeighThis Campaign and Donates to Girls Leadership

Lean Cuisine has introduced the Lean Cuisine #WeighThis Diet Filter, which will block the word "diet" from blogs, online articles and social posts. Lean Cuisine will support the program through a one-time donation to Girls Leadership, an organization that empowers girls to create change in their world.

The #WeighThis Diet Filter is a downloadable browser extension that searches and filters out the word "diet", along with derivative words like "diets" and "dieting," whenever it appears in a browser window. All filtered words are covered with an orange rectangle and tracked in a counter at the top of the browser. Users can also view how the collective "diet" conversation is shifting online.

"Every January, the latest diet commercials and stories take over our TVs and computers, drowning out conversations that really matter. That's why we're kicking off this New Year differently—by being an ally for women's wellness and a force for good," says Julie Lehman, marketing director for the Lean Cuisine brand. "We're using the #WeighThis filter innovation as an opportunity to encourage women to block out unproductive conversations and focus on what's really important in the New Year."

In addition, Lean Cuisine developed a prototype #WeighThis Diet Filter hardware device for television that works by scanning the television closed caption signal for the word "diet," then mutes the audio for 30 seconds. The device, created specifically for partners and media, saves viewers from enduring more "diet" messages, and a counter keeps track of how many times it changed the conversation.

Lean Cuisine will support this effort and its mission of empowering women to find the greatness in themselves with a one-time $25,000 donation to Girls Leadership to support the organization's efforts. Girls Leadership teaches girls the skills to know who they are, what they believe, and how to express it, empowering them to create a change in their world—a mission in line with that of Lean Cuisine.

"We're thrilled to partner with Lean Cuisine in supporting a new focus on wellness. This campaign has helped us reflect on what it means to build and practice healthy body image, for ourselves and for the next generation of women," says Simone Marean, executive director of Girls Leadership. "This campaign will help our community let go of the idea of diet, or self-denial, which comes from a place of self-shame, and move toward a productive conversation of intentionally feeding your body. That comes from a place of self-respect. That's a legacy we can be proud to role model for our kids, both boys and girls."

As a modern eating brand and ally for women's wellness, Lean Cuisine has shifted away from a "diet" brand and toward one that inspires overall well-being, say company officials. The brand continues to provide chef-inspired, delicious dishes that consumers are seeking, like dishes made with organic, gluten-free and high protein ingredients, officials add.