Netflix defends controversial new show 'Insatiable'

Netflix is moving forward with plans to release the new series "Insatiable" next month despite growing controversy surrounding it.

After tens of thousands of people signed a petition calling for the show to be shelved, Netflix's Original Series vice president Cindy Holland defended the series, saying that despite the backlash, the show is not guilty of "fat-shaming."

“Lauren Gussis, who is the creator, felt very strongly about exploring these issues based on her own experiences, but in a satirical, over-the-top way,” Holland said. “Ultimately, the message of the show is that what is most important is that you feel comfortable in your own self. Fat-shaming itself, that criticism, is embedded in the DNA of the show."

"Insatiable," which is set to drop on August 10, stars Debby Ryan as "Fatty Patty," an overweight and bullied teen who, after having her jaw wired shut, undergoes a dramatic physical transformation and becomes instantly popular. However, rather than celebrate her newfound place in her school's social hierarchy, Patty is determined to exact revenge on those students who tortured her before she lost weight.

The premise of the show instantly garnered criticism, with more than 210,000 people signing a change.org petition claiming that "Insatiable" perpetuates the narrative that women and girls need to be thin "in order to be popular, have friends, to be desirable for the male gaze, and to some extent be a worthy human."

"The toxicity of this series is bigger than just this one particular series. This is not an isolated case, but part of a much larger problem that I can promise you every single woman has faced in her life, sitting somewhere on the scale of valuing their worth on their bodies, to be desirable objects for the male gaze," the petition reads. "That is exactly what this series does. It perpetuates not only the toxicity of diet culture, but the objectification of women's bodies."

"This series will cause eating disorders, and perpetuate the further objectification of women's bodies," it concludes. "The trailer has already triggered people with eating disorders. Let's stop this, and protect further damage."

Gussis has not yet commented on the petition.