Key summary
- People are likely to interpret explicit use of needle/syringe imagery as promoting a weight-loss medicine.
- Most people also felt that weight-loss treatment ads put pressure on losing weight, and often target women.
- ASA found that from February 2025 to January 2026 around 900 ads on social media had violated rules by promoting prescription-only medicines.
An Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) research has found that while there is a growing public interest in weight-loss medicines, an increasingly sophisticated marketing is creating new risks in the weight-loss advertising landscape.
This was done as part of its ongoing drive against advertising for weight-loss prescription-only medicines, which is prohibited under the law and advertising rules.
The study also found that less than half of the UK audience are aware that GLP-1s are prescription-only medicines.
Many can define a prescription-only medicine, but struggle to correctly identify specific products.
Most people also felt that weight-loss treatment ads put pressure on people to lose weight and often target vulnerable audiences.
The most frequently targeted happen to be women, and they feel greater pressure to lose weight.
People also listed a range of signals that can make them think that the ad is promoting weight-loss injections.
- Across consumers, with differing knowledge levels, signals include certain explicit language, references to BMI eligibility and weight-loss statistics that are perceived as significant or extreme
- Injector pens are one of the most common indicators of weight-loss injections
- People are particularly likely to interpret explicit use of a needle/syringe imagery as promoting a weight-loss prescription only medicines
- Injection’, ‘jab’ and brand name (e.g. ‘Mounjaro’) are either clear cut, likely to suggest or be interpreted as being about weight-loss injections, while ‘GLP-1’*, ‘shot’ and ‘drip’ all, to varying degrees, being associated with injections
- While medical descriptions like “weight-loss injections” or “weight-loss jab” remain the most commonly used terms, 56 percent of the population use non-medical, appearance-centric language like “fat”, “skinny” or “slimming” jabs
People who are familiar with these medicines are more likely to interpret the ads as promotional.
The ASA has also published its Enforcement Report that shows how its monitoring, swift enforcement, and collaboration with Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), have led to an increased compliance by advertisers.
Using AI-based monitoring systems, from February 2025 to January 2026, they captured and analysed over 95,000 unique paid online ads from 44 pharmacies and online clinics.
They were responsible for the majority of ads in the sector, from Google, Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and TikTok as well as display ads.
Around 35,000 were related to weight management service, and around 900 ads from 38 advertisers were assessed as likely to break the rules by promoting prescription-only medicines for weight-loss.
We contacted the advertisers, instructed them to amend or remove non-compliant ads, and received assurances regarding their compliance.
This targeted action has increased the compliance rate to 99 percent by January 2026.
High-profile GLP-1s
Dr Kieran Seyan, chief medical officer at Lloyds Pharmacy Online Doctor, said, “It's unusual for a prescription medicine to have such a high public profile outside of a clinical setting, as we are seeing with GLP-1 medicines. This creates a challenge, as it can shift perception towards these treatments being viewed as lifestyle options, rather than clinical interventions for a recognised medical condition.
“The findings from the ASA are consistent with our own data. More than half (55 people) of people with a BMI below 25 report their main motivation for using a weight loss drug is to improve body confidence or self-esteem and around half (52 percent) of this cohort say that celebrity endorsement made them more open to trying the medication."
"When prescribed by a registered doctor or a licensed prescribing pharmacist, with appropriate support in place, these medicines can be highly effective for some patients. As new formulations, including oral options, become available, it will be increasingly important that patients access treatment through regulated providers, where appropriate safeguards around prescribing, quality and wrap-around care are in place.”
