Facebook forced to apologise after BANNING an ad for an event featuring plus-size model Tess Holliday because it's against their 'health and fitness policy'

Facebook has been forced to apologise after rejecting an ad that featured a photograph of plus-size model Tess Holliday.

Australian group Cherchez la Femme attempted to place an ad on the social media network last week to promote their latest body positive event, called Feminism and Fat, and were denied by Facebook. 

The event, which is one of the group's monthly 'feminist talkshows' had a picture of Tess Holliday in a bikini as the main image for the event. 

After a social media outcry and media coverage, Facebook has apologised and said the rejection of the ad was an 'error'. 

Request denied: Facebook has been forced to apologise are it rejected a request for an advertisement using a picture of Tess Holliday (above) because the image was against their 'health and fitness policy'

Fatbook: The advertisement was to promote a feminist event discussing body positivity called 'Feminism and Fat'

Huh? Facebook said that the picture of Holliday promoted 'an idealised physical image' and violated their guidlelines

The company also contacted Cherchez la Femme, saying they were sorry for the 'incorrect review'. However the group isn't completely satisfied with the response from the social media network.

'Facebook still haven't addressed why they tagged a fat woman's body as undesirable in the first place,' the group's Twitter account wrote.  

Facebook had previously told Cherchez la Femme that they wouldn't allow the group to promote their event because the picture of Holliday 'violates Facebook's Ad Guideline's by promoting an idealised physical image'. 

When one of the producers of the event, Jessamy Gleeson, first contacted Facebook about the rejection, she was told that the image didn't comply with the company's health and fitness policy. 

'The image depicts a body or body parts in a undesirable manner. Ads may not depict a state of health or body weight as being perfect or extremely undesirable,' Facebook responded to her.  

Appeal: When one of the producers of the event contacted Facebook, they reaffirmed their denial of the ad, saying that it didn't comply with the site's 'health and fitness policy'

'The image depicts a body or body parts in a undesirable manner': The site said that images that showed tight clothing, 'muffin tops' or eating disorders in a negative light were not allowed

'To my surprise, Facebook rejected my boosted ad request': One of the producers of the event, Jessamy Gleeson, posted to Facebook about the ad's rejection (above)

Facebook went on to say that images that fell under this included photos showing 'muffin tops', people wearing clothes that are too tight and images that show conditions like eating disorders in a negative light. 

The site suggested that the group use 'an image of a relevant activity, such as running or riding a bike'.

Ms Gleeson took to the group's Facebook page to let their followers know what had happened, and how angry the producers of Cherchez la Femme were about it. 

'Facebook has ignored the fact that our event is going to be discussing body positivity (which comes in all shapes and sizes, but in the particular case of our event, fat bodies), and has instead come to the conclusion that we've set out to make women feel bad about themselves by posting an image of a wonderful plus sized woman,' she wrote. 

'We're raging pretty hard over here - both because Facebook seemingly has no idea that plus sized, self describing fat women can feel great about themselves, and also because we haven't been able to boost the original damn post.' 

'We're raging pretty hard over here': Ms Gleeson said that the women who run Cherchez la Femme were angry at Facebook's decision and reasoning

Horrified: Commenters on the Facebook post were also upset about the situation, calling it 'absurd' and 'bulls***t'

Feminism and fat: The event (above) is being held in Melbourne on June 7 and will discuss body positivity and fat bodies

Ms Gleeson also spoke to Daily Mail Australia, saying Facebook has a 'double standard' when it comes to their community guidelines. 

Cherchez la Femme's followers were equally outraged, posting that they were 'horrified' and calling the policy 'bulls***t'.

'Oh wow. This is absurd. Facebook fails to deal with trolls who tell fat women to kill themselves and they have this policy? Ugh,' Elizabeth Sutherland wrote. 

Others criticized the social media network for assuming that someone can't be bigger and healthy, or that they allow overly photoshopped bodies but not 'real' ones.