KATIE Price is facing an Instagram ban and Ofcom investigation after being slammed over an irresponsible diet post.
The former glamour model, 45, was forced to remove the social media post after claims that it promoted a diet that fell below 800 calories a day, and was not obviously recognisable as an ad.
Katie, who shared the reel last August for The Skinny Food Co. detailed what she ate in a day including a number of the brands products.
The reality star was heard making multiple references to weight loss attempts, stating “God look at that double chin, here’s why I’m on the Skinny Foods.”
In the caption she wrote: “Another example of how you can eat so many delicious meals and snacks in the day.
“All of this was only 755 calories and helping me stay in a calorie deficit to shift some extra pounds when needed.
“If I have a bad day I like to go in a calorie deficit to ensure it’s not a bad week!”
Katie was supposed to remove the post – but it is still online on her Instagram account despite the risk of being banned from the social media platform.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said that they received two complaints after the post, challenging whether it was obvious enough that the post was an advert and whether or not the ad was promoting irresponsible dieting.
The Skinny Food Co denied these claims, saying that the reel included “#ad” in the caption, which they considered was sufficient to ensure that it was visible and clear that the reel was a paid promotion, and that they can’t control what Katie eats in a day.
The ASA however were unhappy with this justification, with their ruling stating: “We acknowledged that the reel featured the hashtag “#ad” in the caption.
“However, the identifier was placed at the end of the caption and was not visible without engaging with the post and expanding the text.
“We therefore concluded that the label was insufficiently prominent to obviously identify the ad as a marketing communication from the outset.”
One of the main issues with the post was the severe lack of calories consumed, promoting an irresponsible diet of below 800 calories a day to followers without a recommendation to seek medical advice first.
The ASA ruling added: “We therefore considered that consumers would understand from the ad that they could elect to follow a similar diet that fell below 800 kcal a day by consuming the same products, and other products from The Skinny Food Co’s range, without taking medical advice, until they achieved their desired weight.”
The ad has been banned from appearing again in this way, and Not Guilty Food Co Ltd, The Skinny Food Co, and Katie Price have all been urged to ensure that their future ads are obviously identifiable as marketing communications.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
