Banning misleading health ads

What do Americans think of it?

Over the past couple of years and significantly since the pandemic, the focus on healthcare has grown multifold as governments and organizations, including social media platforms, take steps to encourage a healthy lifestyle. This report delves into people’s thoughts and opinions on these developments.

UK prime minister Boris Johnson’s hospitalization due to COVID-19 has helped kickstart a nationwide campaign against obesity, including a ban on junk food advertisements during the day from next year onwards. On the other hand, Pinterest has become the first social media giant to ban all forms of ads promoting weight-loss products from its platform. The latter is especially noteworthy given that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok can have a huge influence on their massive userbase. Amid the growing clamor for healthy living, how are Americans reacting to these ad bans? Piplsay polled 31,240 people nationwide to get some insights. Here is a summary of what we found:

Other Insights

• • 54% of men believe banning junk food ads during the daytime will be effective as compared to 46% of women
  • An equal 70% of Gen Xers and Millennials have been personally influenced by weight-loss ads on social media platforms
  • 58% of men and 56% of women support Pinterest’s decision to ban all weight-loss ads on its platform

Survey Methodology: This Piplsay survey was conducted nationwide in the US  from July 18-20, 2021. We received 31,240 online responses from individuals aged 18 years and older.