Advertisers must do more to avoid images of models looking too thin, says ASA

The chief executive of the Advertising Standards Authority has urged advertisers to increase their efforts to avoid using "irresponsible" images of unhealthily thin-looking models.

- Chloe Mac Donnell

Guy Parker, the chief executive of the advertising watchdog, said adverts where models appear to present an unhealthy body image were "becoming more of an issue" and called on advertisers to "please think very carefully" about the body types they are depicting.

Recently, adverts from high street retailers including M&S, Next and Zara have been banned by the regulator for presenting "irresponsible" images of models who appeared "unhealthily thin".

The regulator reported that in one of the images used by M&S in April, one model "wore large pointed shoes which emphasised the slenderness of her legs".

A downwards tilting camera angle also made the model's head appear "out of proportion with the rest of her body and further highlighted her small frame".