Science in the Spotlightwww.the-GIST.org
Science in the SpotlightA bad influence?When Kim Kardashian posted asponsored advert for appetite-suppressantlollipops on Instagramlast year [1], she most likelythought it was just another day inthe life and career of a social mediainfluencer; after all, it wasn'tthe first post she had made promotinga weight-loss product, andshe was far from the only influencerto do so. This time, however,she was met with heavy criticism –most notably from Jameela Jamil,British actress and founder of the 'IWeigh' body positivity movement –because it was felt that this particularproduct targeted children.To date, Kardashian has over150 million followers on Instagram,so most popular news outlets spentdays reporting on her lollipopthemedsaga. Three months prior,much less media attention waspaid to the publication of NHS datashowing that hospital admissionsfor eating disorders increased by191% over the previous six-yearperiod [2]. With the biggest increaseshown in teenage patients,and with research demonstratingthat social media affects body imagein adolescents, it is understandableand justified that dietproducts aimed at such at-riskgroups receive this kind of condemnation.It begs the question,however – when eating disorderrates are increasing for adults too,why don't adverts targeting thisdemographic receive the samelevel of contempt?Perhaps it's assumed thatadults have the capability to makecompletely informedand independent decisions,free from theeffects of marketingcampaigns. This ignoresthe strong effectsof popular mediaculture on ourchoices, even on those who believethemselves to be unaffected [3]. Asmodern technologies such as TiVoand AdBlocker allow users to bypassmore traditional advertisingmethods, marketers have soughtout new ways to reach target audiences,leading to the rise of influencerpromotions. While traditionalmarketing sells a product, socialmedia influencers essentially sell alifestyle. They share so much oftheir lives online that followers feelas if they know them. This makestheir promotions feellike recommendationsfrom a trusted friend.The result is that whilsttraditional adverts areseen as an annoyanceto be avoided, 1 in 4people in the UK havepurchased somethingbased on an influencer'spromotion and 1 in 5 say they actuallylike seeing sponsored postsfrom influencers [4].On the other hand, it's perhapsassumed that since they are beingpublicly advertised, these productsare safe to use. Unfortunately,that's not necessarily the case.Here in the UK, over-the-counteranorectic drugs (also commonlyknown as appetite suppressants)are not regulated by the Medicinesand Healthcare Products RegulatoryAgency (MHRA) and their history asa prescription product highlightstheir potential dangers.Until 2010, anorectic drugs wereprescribed by the NHS to people overa certain BMI. Doctors were able tolook at patients' existing conditionsand medications: they understoodwhen it was appropriate to offer aprescription and when it wasn't. Thispractice stopped entirely upon thediscovery that sibutramine hydrochloridemonohydrate, the active ingredientin the most popularanorectic drug of the time, was associatedwith increased risk of heartattack and stroke. Products containingthis active ingredient werepromptly banned by the EuropeanMedicines Agency (EMA) and werewithdrawn from NHS prescription asa result. It was an example of regulatorybodies working well to ensureproduct safety and suitability.In comparison, people purchasingproducts via social media advertsare rarely fully informed about thepotential risks associated with theirpersonal circumstances. With a correlationestablished between depressionand poor body image [5],one concern is that people takingantidepressants may be more likelyto purchase these products, notrealising the risk attached to combiningtheir medication with weightlosssupplements.www.the-GIST.org