The Ultra-Thin Ideal: The Claws of The Machine

Embracing fashion isn’t a size scale, and sometimes that scale is tipped against your favour. Feeling good in your skin isn’t the same as promoting a severely underweight frame and calling it a “healthy, toned physique.” In recent campaigns, Zara, Next, and M&S crossed that line. The 2025 M&S ad emphasised the model’s pointed shoes to draw attention to her thin legs, while Zara showcased a drawn, hollow face — a look that pushes unhealthy thinness as a criterion for style.

Ultra-thin models were featured in recent ads for M&S, Next, and Zara.

Ever wore baggy clothes for comfort or fashion? Imagine if that looseness wasn’t for style, but to promote extreme thinness — suggesting you must be extra-slim to “fit” the look. The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority banned both ads for promoting harmful body ideals, but by then, the damage was done. Thousands had already paused mid-scroll, internalising those images.

When Advertising Becomes a Psychological Trigger

Low body weight can stem from many causes, such as depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use, and eating disorders. These behavioural factors flare up when unrealistic beauty standards are broadcast to millions, freeing a contagion that feeds insecurity. You know that feeling? When you’re walking down a bright street, ads all around you glowing with perfection, and you think: “Why am I not that beautiful?” You’re not alone.

According to Festinger’s Social Comparison Theory, we define our worth by comparing ourselves to others. Often, this means upward comparison — to people we perceive as “better.” When those people are gaunt models marketed as aspirational, the effect can be devastating: low self-esteem, obsessive dieting, disordered eating, and distorted body image.

According to Festinger’s Social Comparison Theory, we define our worth by comparing ourselves to others.

Research supports this spiral. More than 50% of adults in the US, UK, France, Germany, and Australia have reported experiencing weight stigma (Pearl et al., 2021) — a statistic that bleeds into extensive mental health struggles. In the era of body , we must understand that dismantling the beauty hierarchy doesn’t mean endangering ourselves for acceptance.

The tactic that the Zara, Next, and M&S ads used was comfort=thinness, and using ultra-thin models, which got them banned. This is a flawed and deceptive advertising in two ways: it creates discrimination, and it pairs comfort. directly with thinness and thinness only, which would lead many to the mental health problems stated above, namely depression and eating disorders. It’s a vicious cycle, with the beauty scale tipped against your favour.

The Cost of the Ultra-Thin Ideal

Maintaining an ultra-thin body isn’t glamorous — it’s dangerous. Chronic underweight conditions can lead to nutritional deficiencies, hormonal disruption, and organ deterioration. Unfortunately, fashion continues to romanticise fragility as elegance.

Maintaining an ultra-thin body isn’t glamorous — it’s dangerous.

From Kate Moss’s 1990s “heroin chic” to today’s algorithm-driven thin ideal, the industry has weaponised the illusion of beauty. It’s a machine with claws — sharp, persuasive, and relentless — scraping away self-worth piece by piece, image by image. We’ve surrendered too often to its alluring voice, mistaking its cruelty for confidence.

What Zara and M&S Could Have Done Differently

These brands had a chance to lead responsibly. Instead of glorifying frailty, they could have centered campaigns around “flattering fits” — style for every body type. A message like “Inspiration deeper than the surface” could’ve reframed fashion around personality, confidence, and mental health awareness.

They also could’ve followed the backlash with transparency and education, acknowledging their mistake and encouraging open dialogue about body image in fashion.

Holding the Industry Accountable

At Index:MH™, we hold the beauty industry accountable for their psychological impact. We call out harmful practices and push for awareness, while implementing ethical guidelines to be followed.

The next time a billboard tells you how to look, remember — your body isn’t the problem. The machine is. With #adwatch, we need eyes everywhere.

Sign the pledge to hold beauty industry accountable.