A sponsored Instagram post by Katie Price has been banned by the UK advertising watchdog for promoting a low-calorie diet without adequate health warnings or transparent disclosure that it was an advert.
The video, shared on Price's account in August 2023, showed her preparing meals while discussing weight loss and promoting The Skinny Food Co's range. The final shot revealed the day's meals totalled just 755 calories – more than a third below the recommended intake for an adult woman.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that diets below 800 calories a day must advise users to seek medical guidance and be promoted only for short-term use. It also found that the only advert disclosure, a single "#ad" at the end of the caption, was hidden unless users expanded the text.
The regulator upheld three complaints, including an unauthorised health claim. This is the fifth time in four years that an advertisement from The Skinny Food Co has been banned. Previous breaches included false "zero calorie" claims and misleading comparisons about sugar content.
The company, Not Guilty Food Co Ltd, said it could not control what Price ate, adding that a "calorie deficit" was a proven method of weight loss. The ASA said Price agreed to remove the ad and asked for guidance on making future posts compliant.
