U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority Opposes Ad

The U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority has asked clothes company Urban Outfitters to remove a photo of a skinny model showing off a pair of underwear, reports Tech Times. The request was made because of an anonymous complaint that the “irresponsible and harmful” photo could be encouraging eating disorders among the target audience.

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“We considered that the model was very thin, and noted, in particular, that there was a significant gap between the model’s thighs, and that her thighs and knees were a similar width. We understood that Urban Outfitters’ target market was young people and considered that using a noticeably underweight model was likely to impress upon that audience that the image was representative of the people who might wear Urban Outfitters’ clothing, and as being something to aspire to. We therefore concluded that the ad was irresponsible,” said the ASA’s official letter.

Urban Outfitters’ response was that the model’s waist is 60 cm, so she is completely healthy, just has the thin bones. The company has denied removing the photo, saying that model is not “underweight,” just that the photo was made not from the best angles. The situation remains uncertain.