Body-Shaming Ads Have Been Banned From London's Buses and Trains

London's new mayor Sadiq Khan announced he will ban body-shaming ads from the city's transportation system.

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Complex Original

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London’s new mayor, Sadiq Khan, has already made good on his campaign promise to ban body-shaming advertisements from the city’s transportation system. The decision, which was announced Monday, was in response to Protein World’s 2015 ad campaign featuring a thin model wearing a yellow bikini with the words, “Are you beach body ready?”

According to QZ, the poster received a great deal of backlash, with many people calling the image "offensive, irresponsible, and harmful because it promotes an unhealthy body image." There were even protests and petitions calling for an overhaul of Transport for London’s policies that allowed these kinds of ads to be displayed on trains (aka tubes) and buses. To make matters worse, the weight loss company Protein World sent out tweets insisting the backlash was actually helping their business:

"As the father of two teenage girls, I am extremely concerned about this kind of advertising which can demean people, particularly women, and make them ashamed of their bodies," Khan said in a statement. "It is high time it came to an end. Nobody should feel pressurised, while they travel on the tube or bus, into unrealistic expectations surrounding their bodies and I want to send a clear message to the advertising industry about this.”

As a part of the measure, Transport of London will set up a steering committee to evaluate ads that could potentially harm someone’s body image.

"Advertising on our network is unlike TV, online, and print media, Graeme Craig, director of Transportation for London, told QZ. "Our customers cannot simply switch off or turn a page if an advertisement offends or upsets them and we have a duty to ensure the copy we carry reflects that unique environment."

The ban will go into effect next month.

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