I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4341 

To direct the Federal Trade Commission to submit to Congress a report 

on the use, in advertising and other media for the promotion of commercial products, of images that have been altered to materially change 

the physical characteristics of the faces and bodies of the individuals 

depicted. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 27, 2014 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself, Mrs. CAPPS, and Mr. DEUTCH) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 

Commerce 

A BILL 

To direct the Federal Trade Commission to submit to Congress a report on the use, in advertising and other media 

for the promotion of commercial products, of images 

that have been altered to materially change the physical 

characteristics of the faces and bodies of the individuals 

depicted. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Truth in Advertising 

5 Act of 2014’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) Advertisers regularly alter images used in 

4 print and electronic media to materially change the 

5 physical characteristics of models’ faces and bodies, 

6 often altering the models’ size, proportions, shape, 

7 and skin color, removing signs of ageing, and mak8 ing other similar changes to models’ appearance. 

9 (2) An increasing amount of academic evidence 

10 links exposure to such altered images with emo11 tional, mental, and physical health issues, including 

12 eating disorders, especially among children and teen13 agers. There is particular concern about the mar14 keting of such images to children and teenagers 

15 through distribution in teen-oriented publications, 

16 advertising displayed in public places outside the 

17 home, and online media. 

18 (3) Such altered images can create distorted 

19 and unrealistic expectations and understandings of 

20 appropriate and healthy weight and body image. 

21 (4) The dissemination of unrealistic body stand22 ards has been linked to eating disorders among men 

23 and women of varying age groups, but it has a par24 ticularly destructive health effect on children and 

25 teenagers. 


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1 (5) Academic evidence has demonstrated a con2 nection between the use of very thin models in ad3 vertising and consumer attitudes toward a brand 

4 based on such advertising, as well as a material in5 fluence of the use of such models on consumer pur6 chase intent, conduct, and reliance. 

7 (6) In 2011, the American Medical Association 

8 adopted a policy encouraging advertising associa9 tions to work with public and private sector organi10 zations concerned with child and adolescent health 

11 to develop guidelines for advertisements, especially 

12 those appearing in teen-oriented publications, that 

13 would discourage the altering of photographs in a 

14 manner that could promote unrealistic expectations 

15 of appropriate body image. 

16 SEC. 3. REPORT BY FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after 

18 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Trade 

19 Commission shall submit to Congress a report that con20 tains— 

21 (1) a strategy to reduce the use, in advertising 

22 and other media for the promotion of commercial 

23 products, of images that have been altered to mate24 rially change the physical characteristics of the faces 

25 and bodies of the individuals depicted; and 


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1 (2) recommendations for an appropriate, risk2 based regulatory framework with respect to such 

3 use. 

4 (b) INPUT OF EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS AND EX5 PERTS.—In preparing the report required by subsection 

6 (a), the Federal Trade Commission shall solicit input from 

7 external stakeholders and experts on the strategy and rec8 ommendations required to be included in such report. The 

9 Commission, in consultation with the Director of the Na10 tional Institute of Mental Health and the Administrator 

11 of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Ad12 ministration, shall ensure that input is obtained from an 

13 appropriate number of stakeholders and experts and, to 

14 the extent practicable, from stakeholders and experts that 

15 are geographically and culturally diverse and that include 

16 stakeholders and experts from the physical and mental 

17 health, business, and consumer advocacy communities. 

Æ 


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