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Airbrushed ads damaging a generation of young women says Swinson

Mon, 09 Nov 2009

The world’s leading experts on body image issues have today sent a paper to UK advertising authorities condemning the use of ultra-thin, digitally altered women in adverts, and backing the Liberal Democrats’ campaign to curb harmful airbrushing.

The paper details scientific evidence on how the use of airbrushing to promote body perfect ideals in advertising is causing a host of problems in young women such as eating disorders ,  depression , extreme  exercising  and encouraging cosmetic surgery.

The paper has been signed by 45 leading academics, doctors and clinical psychologists from the UK, USA, Australia, Brazil, Spain and Ireland.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat MP, Jo Swinson said:

“This paper spells out the real damage irresponsible airbrushing is doing to young women’s physical and mental health.

“Airbrushing means that women and young girls are being bombarded with images of people with perfect skin, perfect hair and perfect figures which are impossible to live up to.

“The Advertising Standards Agency received five complaints about airbrushed images last year.  This year thanks to our campaign it has had almost 1,000. It now has all the scientific evidence it needs to act.

“Liberal Democrats believe in the freedom of companies to advertise but we also believe in the freedom of young people to develop their self-esteem and to be comfortable with their bodies.  They shouldn’t constantly feel the need to measure up to unattainable images that no-one can live up to in real life.”

A full copy of the paper entitled: 'The Impact of Media Images on Body Image and Behaviours: A Summary of the Scientific Evidence' can be viewed here.