The º£½ÇÊÓƵ's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has recently upheld a grievance against retailer Next for featuring what was deemed an "unhealthily thin" model in an online advert for leggings.
This decision follows shortly after the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eating Disorders released a report highlighting the "alarming" surge in conditions such as anorexia and bulimia over the last ten years, noting that eating disorders possess "one of the largest treatment gaps in modern healthcare", as reported by .
A 2023 survey indicates that more than one in ten individuals aged 17 to 19, and a fifth of young women, are affected by an eating disorder.
In its verdict regarding Next's advertisement, the ASA stated that the model "appeared unhealthily underweight in the image" and branded the ad as "irresponsible."
Last year, the watchdog similarly reprimanded Mango and fashion retailer Warehouse for their use of 'unhealthily thin' models in advertising, finding them in breach of the CAP code which mandates that "marketing communications must be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society."
The ASA specifically criticised the "pose and the lighting" in Next's ad, which accentuated the model's rib cage and legs, making her appear particularly slender.
The authority has ordered that the advert must not be shown again in its present form and directed Next to ensure their advertising imagery is created responsibly and does not depict models as being unhealthily thin.
NEXT has stated that the advertisement was produced with a deep sense of responsibility towards consumers and society at large, emphasising that their creative teams were committed to featuring a diverse array of models.
A study conducted by the University of Toronto on magazine advertisements showcasing female fashion models discovered that images of 'skinny women' had an immediate detrimental effect on women's self-esteem.
