Statement
Meant to be respected sources of medical information, a number of medical practitioners have instead been exploiting the insecurities of young people, post-pregnant women, aging bodies, and generally those who are living in a healthy human body. From sly language that encourages people to seek ‘fixes’ for perfectly natural variations, to suggesting that people can obtain the looks of celebrities through cosmetic surgery, are inappropriate and in our opinion, dangerous. The way cosmetic surgeons have been advertising on social media needed urgent reform.
It is important that the medical regulator took the concerns of brave whistleblowers and patients seriously, and investigated the deeply troubling practices exposed by the media. The new Medical Board guidelines, combined with the use of software to proactively monitor advertising, are significant steps towards increasing patient safety, protecting the public and putting Australia on a path to being a leading country in regulating the cosmetic surgery sector.
Young people are particularly vulnerable to cosmetic procedure advertising, so these changes contribute to decreasing young people and children from exposure to advertising that is known to impact their self esteem.
We are pleased to see language like ‘artistry’ and ‘sculpting’ being banned under the new guidelines, as people are not sculptures or paintings and their bodies are not the creative outlets of medical practitioners. This language also carries the connotation that surgery is fun and creative. Further, it is important that language like ‘perfect’, ‘amazing’, ‘body goals’, ‘ready for Summer’, and ‘transformation’ be banned as these idealise cosmetic surgery and also provide unrealistic expectations of outcomes to prospective patients. There is nothing more unrealistic than describing a post-surgery body as ‘perfect’. And finally, medical practitioners are frequently implying or explicitly stating that some bodies are undesirable through language on social media. Banning non-clinical terms like ‘hip dips’, ‘thigh gaps’, ‘mummy makeover’, and also banning the suggestion that it is normal to have cosmetic surgery to ‘fix’ natural bodies or changes is a hugely positive step in holding medical practitioners accountable online.
The impact of visual advertising in influencing cosmetic surgery patients is powerful. Single images, often of sexualised or glamourised people, suggest a certain lifestyle can be obtained after having cosmetic surgery. It is pleasing to see these images be banned.
However, this advertising reform will lack substance without strong enforcement and serious consequences for offenders.
----------Further comment:
- Michael Fraser 0458 369 975
- Maddison Johnstone 0434 003 822
Published: 3 April 2023