General · 11 February 2026
41 percent of teens bombarded with weight loss drug ads online
A damning report by Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza reveals 41 percent of teenagers aged 13-17 are routinely bombarded with advertisements for prescription weight-loss drugs online. The survey of 2,000 children exposes that 27 percent encountered toxic skin-whitening creams, while 24 percent viewed steroid promotions. De Souza demands urgent amendments to the Online Safety Act, slamming social media platforms for prioritizing engagement over safety as influencers normalize dangerous appearance-changing products.
Reported by Guardian · How we write briefs