The UK's advertising regulator has taken decisive action against three companies for promoting prescription-only weight loss drugs in a manner it deems both illegal and socially irresponsible.
Rulings Against Exploitative Marketing
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) announced on Wednesday 17 December 2025 that it has banned a series of social media advertisements from the firms Chequp, MedExpress, and SkinnyJab. The watchdog found the ads breached the law by promoting prescription-only medications (POMs) directly to the public, a practice strictly prohibited under UK regulations.
In a strongly worded condemnation, the ASA stated the companies employed tactics that "irresponsibly exploited" people's insecurities about their bodies. Jess Tye, ASA regulatory projects manager, emphasised the clarity of the rules: "Both the law and our rules make clear that prescription-only medication (POM) cannot be promoted directly to the public."
MedExpress Ad Targeted New Mothers
One particularly contentious advertisement came from MedExpress. It depicted a woman taking a photo of herself in a mirror, accompanied by the caption: "I wish I knew sooner that I could lose post-baby weight with a medicated weight loss treatment from MedExpress."
The ASA ruled this ad "encouraged new mothers to prioritise losing weight by using weight loss medication, exploited their insecurities about body image and perpetuated pressures for them to conform to body image stereotypes." The regulator also highlighted the significant health risk, noting that such weight loss medications typically carry specific warnings for individuals who are breastfeeding.
MedExpress defended its position, arguing the ad did not expressly suggest weight loss was a priority after birth and that it had not intended to reinforce gender stereotypes. The ASA, however, upheld the complaint.
Chequp and SkinnyJab Also Found in Breach
The ASA's scrutiny extended to other companies. An advertisement for Chequp featured an image of a woman looking in a mirror with text stating: "I don't want to be skinny. I just don't want to be the biggest person in the room."
The watchdog concluded this ad irresponsibly suggested "a stigma associated with being a certain size." Chequp responded by saying it intentionally depicted someone who appeared significantly overweight and claimed the ad did not imply being overweight was undesirable or that people at a healthy weight should lose weight.
Additionally, an ad by SkinnyJab featuring its chief executive discussing the medication was banned. SkinnyJab contended the social media content was not an advertisement, but the ASA ruled it constituted marketing material.
A Coordinated Crackdown on Illegal Promotions
These bans are part of an ongoing, coordinated effort by the ASA to clamp down on the illegal promotion of prescription-only weight loss treatments. The regulator is working in partnership with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the General Pharmaceutical Council to tackle this issue.
Jess Tye underscored the ASA's commitment: "Today's rulings also send a clear message that it's not acceptable for ads to play on people's insecurities around body image. This is a priority area for us and we've got further work under way to ensure people are protected from irresponsible and illegal weight loss POM ads."
The rulings mandate that the offending advertisements must not appear again in their current form, setting a precedent for how weight loss medications and sensitive health topics can be marketed in the UK.
