Clothes brand gets 100 complaints a day that models are 'too fat'

The boss of online clothing brand Snag has told the BBC it gets more than 100 complaints a day that the models in its adverts are "too fat".

Chief executive Brigitte Read says models of her size 4-38 clothing are frequently the target of "hateful" posts about their weight.

The brand was cited in an online debate over whether adverts showing "unhealthily fat" models should be banned after a Next advert, in which a model appeared "unhealthily thin", was banned.

The UK's advertising watchdog says it has banned ads using models who appear unhealthily underweight rather than overweight due to society's aspiration towards thinness

.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 61 complaints about models' weight in 2024, with the vast majority being about models who appeared to be too thin.

But it only had grounds to investigate eight complaints and none were about Snag.

Catherine Thom read the BBC report about the Next advert ban and got in touch to say she found it "hypocritical to ban adverts where models appear too thin for being socially irresponsible, however when models are clearly obese we're saying it's body positivity".

The 36-year-old from Edinburgh was one of several people who contacted the BBC with this view, while a Reddit thread had more than 1,000 comments with many along the same theme.

Mrs Thom says she was "bombarded with images of obese girls in tights" after buying from Snag when she was pregnant.

"I see Snag tights plastering these morbidly obese people all over social media," she says.

"How is that allowed when the photo of the Next model isn't? There should be fairness, not politically correct body positivity. Adverts normalising an unhealthy weight, be it obese or severely underweight, are equally as harmful."


 

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2xjd41g33o

Comprehension

What type of complaints does Snag receive about its advertisements?
Who is Brigitte Read, and what does she say about the complaints?
Why was Snag mentioned in an online debate?
What was the ASA’s reasoning for banning adverts with underweight models but not overweight ones?
How many complaints did the ASA receive in 2024 regarding models’ weight?
What was the public reaction to the Next advert ban?
What concerns did Catherine Thom raise about Snag’s advertisements?
Why did Mrs. Thom receive a lot of Snag’s advertisements on social media?
What is the main argument of people who oppose Snag’s use of plus-size models?
What do critics say about fairness in advertising regulations?

Discussion

Do you think it is fair that the ASA bans ads with very thin models but not plus-size ones? Why or why not?
How can brands balance body positivity with promoting healthy lifestyles?
Do advertisements influence how people view body image? Why or why not?
Should there be regulations preventing brands from using models at extreme weights (both underweight and overweight)?
What role does social media play in shaping beauty standards?
How can advertising companies promote inclusivity while also being responsible about health concerns?
Do you think people should have the right to complain about the body sizes of models in advertisements? Why or why not?
Should companies cater their advertisements to specific audiences, or should they aim for broader acceptance?
How does body positivity impact self-esteem and mental health?
Is it possible for advertisements to be both ethical and profitable? How?

Vocabulary

Complaints – Expressions of dissatisfaction or disapproval.
Hateful – Full of hostility or extreme dislike.
Advertising watchdog – An organization that monitors and enforces rules in advertising.
Aspiration – A hope or ambition of achieving something.
Hypocritical – Behaving in a way that contradicts one's stated beliefs or principles.
Bombarded – Overwhelmed with a large amount of something, such as advertisements.
Morbidly obese – Having a body weight significantly above the healthy range, to a level that affects health.
Body positivity – A social movement advocating for the acceptance of all body types.
Fairness – The quality of making decisions that are just and unbiased.
Politically correct – Language or actions that avoid offending certain groups of people.