Social media companies should ban damaging celebrity-endorsed social media ads promoting weight loss aids according to England’s top doctor.<\/p>\n
Some celebrities with large followings are promoting products such as diet pills and detox teas on social media. Professor Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, has argued that these products have a damaging effect on the physical and mental health of young people. He is urging the influential celebrities to act responsibly.<\/p>\n
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said<\/strong>:\u00a0\u201cIf a product sounds like it is too good to be true, then it probably is. The risks of quick-fix weight-loss far outweigh the benefits, and advertising these products without a health warning is damaging and misleading.<\/p>\n
\u201cHighly influential celebrities are letting down the very people who look up to them by peddling products which are at best ineffective and at worst harmful.<\/p>\n
\u201cSocial media firms have a duty to stamp out the practice of individuals and companies using their platform to target young people with products known to risk ill health.<\/p>\n
\u201cPromoting potentially damaging products with no clinical advice or health warning can be really detrimental to someone\u2019s physical and mental health, and with pressure on young people to live up to idealised images greater than they ever have been, it\u2019s too often families and the health service who are left to pick up the pieces.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur\u00a0Long Term Plan\u00a0for the NHS sets out one of the most ambitious packages of investment in care anywhere in the world, and as the health service steps up to support millions more families, we need high-profile figures, businesses, employers and others to ask what more they can do to improve our country\u2019s health and wellbeing.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Social influential celebrities have promoted weight loss aids for payment on social media, this type of advertising is increasing as brands are realising how influential their post are with young people.<\/p>\n
The Competition and Markets Authority announced a suppression on celebrities who do not clearly label their posts as being paid-for advertisements however, there are rules around\u00a0promotion.<\/p>\n
This intervention comes after a series of high profile concerns raised about suicides and self-harm of young people linked to advertising and social media.<\/p>\n
The Science and Technology Committee has also concluded in the House of Commons that social media companies must have a legal duty of care to protect young people’s health and wellbeing when accessing their sites with 70% of 12-15 years old having an online profile according to Ofcom.<\/p>\n
Research from the National Citizen Service shows that at least one in four young people say their appearance is the most important thing to them while half of girls feel pressure to be thinner and a third of boys felt they needed to be more muscular.<\/p>\n
Kim Kardashian West who has 126 million followers on Instagram was criticised for advertising appetite-suppressing lolly-pops last year but later deleted the post. However she still promotes meal replacement shakes.<\/p>\n
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#ad You guys all know I looove @flattummyco shakes. I’ve just restarted them (it’s Day 2 today) and I\u2019m already feeling so good. We had a huuuuge Christmas this year and between that, New Years and everything inbetween\u2026 I felt like it was impossible to fit in my regular work outs and eat healthy. But this program is giving me a kick in the right direction that I need. These meal replacement shakes are so good and they’re helping me get my tummy back to flat. I\u2019m already feeling amazing and I\u2019m so excited for the next few weeks. Because they\u2019re all about getting women back on track\u2026 they\u2019ve got a 20% off sale going on right now, so if you want to start 2019 off right\u2026 trust me, you\u2019re going to want to check them out. PS. I\u2019m doing the chocolate program\ud83c\udf6b<\/a><\/p>\n
A post shared by Kim Kardashian West<\/a> (@kimkardashian) on