'Are You Beach Body Ready?' Protein World Ads Cause Social Media Backlash

“Are you beach body ready?”

Protein World, an English health and wellness company, posed the familiar-sounding question to London residents on billboards and signs all over the city – alongside a very fit woman in a bright yellow bikini -- and the reaction has been intense.

An online and real-world backlash has lead to a virtual petition demanding that the company remove the advertisements from subways and billboards. A number of protesters even defaced the signs, writing responses such as “you are lovely as you are” and “if my body is on a beach, then it is ready. Thank you very much.”

“Protein World is directly targeting individuals, aiming to make them feel physically inferior to the unrealistic "body image of the bronzed model, in order to sell their product,” the petition, which has amassed more than 46,000 supporters, reads.

Earlier this week, Protein World responded to a woman who complained about the advertisement via Twitter, telling her to “grow up.” It also asked another Twitter user “why make your insecurities our problem?”

Body-positive activists are continuing to protest, and a rally is scheduled this Saturday in London's Hyde Park.

This is the latest in a string of protests against so-called body shaming and what many women consider unrealistic body standards. In early April, plus-size clothing company Lane Bryant launched its “I’m No Angel” campaign, featuring plus-size women in lingerie as a counter to the Victoria's Secret Angels.