‘Socially irresponsible’: UK agency bans Diet Chef advert

The distressed former Cheryl, dressed in a baggy shirt and with messy hair, asks in a tearful voice an apparently happier current Cheryl dressed in a more fitted outfit with a more polished appearance how she lost weight.

The complainants said the advert “exploited women’s insecurities about their bodies by implying that you needed to be slim in order to be attractive and happy” and implied overweight women “did not take care of themselves or their appearance”.

Disproportionate focus on weight loss 

In its final ruling, the ASA agreed the advert focused “disproportionately” on the former Cheryl’s negative feelings about her appearance and implied that weight loss was the only solution to her problems.

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Food Labelling Services comments:

The Food Information for Consumers regulation EU 1169/2011 states that all food information must be accurate, clear and easy to understand. This includes advertising, websites and all promotional material. The marketing message should not be misleading, and should allow consumers to make an informed choice. If the emphasis for the Diet Chef advert was directed towards feelings rather than the product, this could be misinterpreted by the consumer and imply an inaccurate message.