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A survey has found a majority of UK adults are concerned that advertisements for weight loss injection services are “targeted at vulnerable audiences” – and that less than half are aware that GLP-1s are prescription medicines.  

New research from the Advertising Standards Authority involving a survey of 2,000 adults found that 65 per cent believe advertisements for weight loss services  “put pressure on people to lose weight,” with a majority of ads perceived as being aimed at women based on the pictures, colour choices and types of testimonials that are often used.  

Consumers reacted negatively to ads targeting women at “specific life stages,” with some seen as placing pressure on women to “bounce back” after giving birth or after the onset of menopause.  

Other ads that elicited a negative response included those that highlighted “discreet| packaging, which was felt to imply that “people should feel ashamed” about purchasing these drugs, or those with “pressure-selling tactics” like price-led messaging or time-limited deals. 

The survey found that just 46 per cent of the public are aware that GLP-1s are prescription only medicines, and that a third are aware there are restrictions around the advertising of POMs. 

The watchdog said advertisers have adopted “new marketing approaches” to take advantage of this “growing sector,” with the findings suggesting that people interpret ads as being for weight loss injections “based on a mix of signals”.

These include “certain explicit language, references to BMI eligibility and weight-loss statistics that are perceived as significant or extreme,” with images of injector pens “one of the most common indicators”.  

The survey findings suggest six per cent of the British public have used weight loss injections and a further 18 per cent would consider using them. 

The ASA said: “While medical descriptions like “weight-loss injections” or “weight-loss jab” remain the most commonly used terms, 56 per cent of the population use non-medical, appearance-centric language like “fat”, “skinny” or “slimming” jabs.”

As part of its enforcement efforts, the ASA analysed over 95,000 unique paid online ads from 44 pharmacies and online clinics advertising on Google, Meta, TikTok and display ads. Around 35,000 ads were for weight management services. 

The ASA said that between February 2025 and January 2026 it identified roughly 900 ads from 38 companies that it assessed as “likely to break the rules” by promoting weight loss POMs to the public. 

These actions have brought about a compliance rate of 99 per cent as of January this year, said the watchdog, 

The ASA’s Jessica Tye said: “Over the last two years, we’ve seen the approaches taken in ads evolve – such as using imagery of injector pens or visuals of boxes, among other potential indicators of weight-loss injections. Our investigations and rulings, AI-assisted monitoring and enforcement work has led to a significant improvement in the number of pharmacies and clinics now sticking to the rules. 

“That’s welcome, but our latest research shows just how much weight-loss is in the public consciousness and how they interpret and respond to ads. We’re committed to continuing to monitor the sector, work with the MHRA and GPhC, and to take action where problem ads appear.”

Dionne Spence, chief enforcement officer at the GPhC, said: “The ASA’s findings highlight the huge public interest in weight-management medicines. Responsible advertising by pharmacies and other healthcare providers is vital, as it helps ensure the public can make informed decisions and protects people from potentially unsafe or misleading information.   

“We have made clear to pharmacy owners and teams that they must follow the guidance and rules from the MHRA and ASA at all times.  

“It is good to see that 99% of adverts for weight‑management medicines are now meeting the guidance and rules for medicines advertising following our joint work with the ASA and MHRA, and we are committed to continuing to work closely together.”

Related: ASA bans three social media ads for promoting weight loss POMs 

Weight loss drugs available in fish and chip shops – tighter regulation needed