An Instagram post by TV personality Gemma Collins which advertised a weight-loss drug and app has been banned.
The star posted: “I’m starting this year two sizes down, thanks to Yazen’s weight loss app and medication”.
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).
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.
Yazen is a Swedish digital healthcare brand that offers users a doctor-supervised weight-loss programme combining prescription medications with lifestyle coaching.
Ms Collins posted a video advert for the brand to her Instagram on 6 January this year.
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.”
Although the advert didn’t name a specific weight-loss medication, the ASA said it made references that breached its code.
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.
Therefore, the advert was deemed as promoting those medications to the public, breaching ASA rules.
The eight other adverts banned for promoting prescription only weight-loss medications to the public were:
- A paid-for Meta ad for CheqUp Health, which stated “Take the first step to sustainable weight loss with CheqUp”.
- A paid-for Meta ad for HealthExpress.co.uk, which included an image of a partially visible injection pen and code breaching text
- A paid-for Google search ad for Juniper UK, which stated “GLP-1 Weekly Weight Loss Injection” and featured an image of an injection pen.
- A paid-for Google search ad for Phlo Clinic, including text that stated, “Get 35% off Weight Loss Order Weight Loss Treatments Online”.
- A paid-for Google ad for SemaPen, which stated “SemaPen Makes Weight Loss Easier.”
- A paid-for Meta ad for Cloud Pharmacy featuring texts messages between two friends discussing new weight-loss medications you can order online.
- A paid-for Google search ad for pharmacyonline.co.uk, which featured text stating “Obesity Treatment Jab” and an image of a box containing a vial of liquid.
- A paid-for Google search ad for Phlo Clinic, seen on 2 December 2024, which included text that stated “Weight loss Injections”.
The ASA has ruled that none of these adverts can appear again in their current form.