Fake photographs, airbrushed to enhance the shape of models continue to come under attack for the lack of honesty in their use, and potential danger to health.

Following similar moves in France a group of UK academics, doctors and psychologists wants all advertisers to be forced to state when images have been artificially enhanced, to protect against body dissatisfaction leading to eating disorders.

Campaigners, who are lobbying the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have singled out an advertisement run last month by Ralph Lauren which depicted, with the aid of extreme airbrushing, an impossibly stick-thin model with a waist smaller than her head, and very long and anorexic-looking arms and legs.

(See REALITY CHECK, Marketing Matters, Issue 8, October 2009)