The Advertising Standards Authority, known as the ASA, has banned three social media adverts linked to prescription weight loss injections.
The rulings cover MedExpress, CheqUp and WLO Ltd trading as SkinnyJab.
The regulator said the ads broke UK advertising rules because they promoted prescription only medicines to the public and, in two cases, leaned into body image pressure in a way it considered irresponsible.
What the ASA said was wrong
In the MedExpress case, the ASA said an Instagram ad encouraged new mothers to prioritise losing weight soon after giving birth and exploited insecurities about body image.
It also noted the context of safety warnings for people who are breast feeding.
Separately, the ASA said the ad and its link out to a landing page effectively promoted prescription only medicines.
For CheqUp, the ASA upheld complaints that a paid Facebook ad promoted prescription only medicines and suggested stigma around body size, focusing attention on appearance rather than health.
For SkinnyJab, the ASA said the branding and social content were likely to lead consumers to request a prescription only medicine, including through the use of weight loss injection language and references associated with named medicines.
It told the company not to promote prescription only medicines to the public, including by using the term SkinnyJab in marketing.
