- TV personality Gemma Collins’ Instagram advert for weight loss medication banned.
- Advertising prescription-only weight-loss drugs directly to the public is illegal.
- ASA banned nine adverts for breaching medication advertising regulations.
A social media advert by UK personality Gemma Collins promoting a prescription weight-loss drug and related app has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
The post, which appeared on Collins’ Instagram account, featured the star claiming she had dropped two clothing sizes using a Swedish digital health service.
Under UK law, advertising prescription-only weight-loss medication to the general public is prohibited.
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Although Collins’ advert did not explicitly name the medication, the ASA determined it strongly implied the availability and use of such drugs, thus breaching advertising regulations.
Collins acknowledged the breach and has committed to adhering to advertising guidelines going forward.
The ASA’s investigation was supported by insights from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which expressed concern that the advert could encourage individuals to request prescription medication unnecessarily.
Alongside Collins’ advert, the ASA has banned eight other promotions for similar reasons including paid adverts from companies:
- CheqUp Health
- HealthExpress.co.uk
- Juniper UK
- Phlo Clinic
- SemaPen
- Cloud Pharmacy
- pharmacyonline.co.uk.
The banned adverts ranged from Google search ads explicitly mentioning prescription injections to social media ads that subtly promoted weight-loss medication.
The ASA stated that none of these adverts could appear again in their current format, reinforcing the importance of compliance with regulations that safeguard consumer health and ensure responsible advertising of healthcare products.
