Abigail Breslin blasts Gold's Gym bosses over body shaming ad campaign

Actress Abigail Breslin has attacked the bosses of fitness chain Gold's Gym after spotting body shaming ads for a new franchise in Egypt.

The Little Miss Sunshine star was appalled by the Gold's Gym Dreamland online campaign, which featured an image of a pear with the caption, "This is no shape for a girl".

In another ill-advised ad, a thin woman appeared inside the silhouette of an obese lady eating a chicken drumstick. A caption read: "Challenge yourself".

Young feminist Breslin was so annoyed, she took to Instagram to blast the company behind the campaign, accusing bosses of "preying on people's insecurities and perpetuating body image issues."

Posting a screenshot of the ad, the 20-year-old wrote: "wow honestly disgusted by this @goldsgym you should be ashamed of yourselves. Things like this are the reason 9 year old girls develop eating disorders."

"Working out should be something you do for yourself, your health and your mind & body, not cuz a corporation declares your body shape isn't what girls should look like," she added.

"Good thing I've never signed up for your gym, now I certainly never will."

Still fuming she later added: "WOW @goldsgym how about CHALLENGE YOURSELF to not be a body shaming, ignorant, mean spirited company?"

Gold's Gym bosses in the U.S. took note of Abigail's outrage and took to their social media channels to post a long apology letter, distancing themselves from the Dreamland franchise in Egypt.

"Words cannot express how shocked and appalled we were by the recent posts of Gold's Gym Dreamland, a sub-franchise in Cairo, Egypt," the sorry statement read. "Not only were they offensive and disgusting, they go against everything we believe in and stand for. For years we have been dedicated to helping people feel empowered by fitness, not intimidated or ashamed by it."