Dear Sir/Madam
I visited the cinema yesterday and before the feature started I watched the current Special K commercial (http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/specialk/ <http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/specialk/> ). The theme of the commercial is that a young woman is looking forward to going on holiday but would feel uncomfortable being photographed in a swimsuit because she is overweight.
However, the woman in the advert is surely not overweight! In fact it seems entirely possible that her weight is exactly the same between the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos.
These observations are very important when you bear in mind the results of a 2004 Bliss magazine survey, which found that while 19 percent of teenage girls questioned were overweight, an astonishing 67 percent thought they were overweight (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3368833.stm <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3368833.stm> ). Surely the latest Special K advert contributes to women’s damaging, and often inaccurate, perception of themselves as being overweight?
Please could you tell me whether, in your opinion, the woman in the advert was overweight? Secondly, could you tell me whether the woman in the advert lost any weight between the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos?
I look forward to hearing from you about this important subject.
Kind regards
Ian Sinclair
* The commercial in question can be viewed here: http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/specialk/. Complaints can be made here: http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/contact/generalenquiry.aspx
ZNetwork is funded solely through the generosity of its readers.
Donate