Gemma Collins battered in crack down on 'fat jab' ads

Eight companies advertising prescription-only medicines used for weight loss have been sat on from above by the ad watchdog this week as part of a major crackdown which has also seen TV personality Gemma Collins given a spanking.

First up is Yaezen Health, who used Collins to promote its weight loss app and medication in an Instagram post. In a short video, Collins stated: “I’m starting this year two sizes down, thanks to Yazen’s… It’s really quick and easy to get started with Yazen, it has absolutely changed my life […] I finally found something that actually I lose weight on. All you need to do is download the app and answer a few quick questions about your goals. Do not buy it from anyone but Yazen.”

The post triggered two complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority, which believed the video breached the CAP Code as it promoted prescription-only medicines to the general public.

In response, Yaezen Health claimed its plans were based on “clinically proven science” and patients had access to doctors, lifestyle coaches, dietitians, psychologists, and physiotherapists. As part of its treatment options, doctors might prescribe prescription-only drugs if they were found to be the best option, making the firm a digital healthcare provider, not a pharmacy.

Yazen highlighted that it did not sell any medication.

The ASA then consulted the Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which expressed concerns that the public would ask for prescription-only drugs.

Banning the ad, the watchdog went on to warn Yazen Health over future activity.

The regulator also made a series of rulings against other healthcare companies promoting weight loss injections to the public after they were flagged up by its AI-driven Active Ad Monitoring system.

Chequp Health, Express Health t/a pharmacyonline.co.uk, Phlo Technologies t/a Phlo Clinic, Hexpress Healthcare t/a HealthExpress.co.uk, Juniper Technologies UK, PharmaRx Ltd t/a Cloud Pharmacy and SemaPen were all wrapped over the knuckles and had their advertisements banned.

In addition, the ASA also took exception to an ad from Detox Today, a service helping those suffering from alcohol addiction, following a complaint from a drug and alcohol treatment charity. The watchdog agreed with the complainant that the ad was misleading, as it could imply that the company provided registered medical treatment.

Finally, the regulator has also upheld a complaint against herbal tea brand Nipper, which claimed its lactation tea could “encourage breast milk supply and postpartum hormonal balance. It’s helped 1000s of mums on their feeding journey”.

The watchdog concluded: “We considered those were specific health claims for the purposes of the Code. However, we had not seen any evidence which demonstrated that those claims were authorised on the GB NHC Register.”

Picture credit: Instagram @gemmacollins