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An Instagram post by TV personality Gemma Collins which advertised a weight-loss drug and app has been banned.<\/p>\n
The star posted: “I’m starting this year two sizes down, thanks to Yazen’s weight loss app and medication”.<\/p>\n
It is illegal to advertise prescription-only weight loss drugs and Ms Collins’ was one of nine adverts banned in a crackdown by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).<\/p>\n
Ms Collins told the ASA’s investigation she accepted her posts had promoted the Yazen weight-loss service and app and she would follow guidance in future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Yazen is a Swedish digital healthcare brand that offers users a doctor-supervised weight-loss programme combining prescription medications with lifestyle coaching.<\/p>\n
Ms Collins posted a video advert for the brand to her Instagram on 6 January this year.<\/p>\n
In the now-banned advert, Ms Collins describes how Yazen has helped her and stated: “I’m not telling anyone to go on this medication, but it is prescribed on the NHS.”<\/p>\n
Although the advert didn’t name a specific weight-loss medication, the ASA said it made references that breached its code.<\/p>\n
The ASA said it sought advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which expressed concern that consumers were likely to be led to request a prescription weight-loss medication.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the advert was deemed as promoting those medications to the public, breaching ASA rules.<\/p>\n
The eight other adverts banned for promoting prescription only weight-loss medications to the public were:<\/p>\n
The ASA has ruled that none of these adverts can appear again in their current form.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n