In about a year, Luke Cox, a high school social studies teacher and sports coach (media outlets didn't list which sport; my guess is football given his 6-foot-5 frame), lost over 100 pounds and won a weight loss competition held by a Kansas City fitness magazine, according to CNN. (Interestingly, Cox was forced to take the contest seriously by raising $600 just to enter with no word on his eventual prize besides multiple spreads in the magazine.) His new body led to a host of lifestyle changes, including more time spent exercising with his wife and playing with his children.
If Cox wanted to post before-and-after photos on Facebook documenting his weight loss success while building his own personal brand, however, he'd have to be careful based on a recent case involving a Seattle woman who also lost over 100 pounds. Marilyn McKenna, who has documented a weight loss journey she began in 2007 through her Facebook page (over 3,000 likes) and personal website, posted a picture of herself occupying one leg of her former size 20 pants.
This is where it gets a little confusing (and resembles something of a plot line for a network lawyer show like "The Good Wife"). According to Seattle's King 5 news station, Facebook asked her to remove the photo because it promoted weight loss, advertisements which must be restricted to users 18 and over. (Presumably, McKenna's page is open to users of all ages; Facebook allows you to restrict pages to 18 plus.) Facebook classified McKenna's photo as an advertisement because she pays them to boost her posts, including the jeans picture. Thus, if she didn't pay for their services, she would have been able to keep the picture on her page.
"I'm not promoting anything," McKenna told King 5. "I'm talking about the weight loss journey I've been on."
Except McKenna is promoting something: herself. Though she currently doesn't make any money off her Facebook page and website, she's writing a book of her weight loss journey, according to News Channel 4 in Oklahoma City.
Even without the pending book, Facebook probably has the better point. That hasn't stopped McKenna from protesting her innocence.
On Friday, she tweeted, "Hey, Facebook! What "products am I promoting?! You dunderheads! My website, my blogs, my videos... it's all free!! I'm not selling anything!"
By that logic, she would have to restrict herself from ever making money on her newfound fame, including book royalties and potentially any public speaking opportunities.
On Sunday, she told Twitter she had an upcoming meeting with Facebook. Perhaps she's taken the legal advice of her husband, former Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna.
