Few years back, Lasani Pharma (Pvt.) Ltd.

broadcasted an advertisement to promote Arq-e-Mehzal: an

herbal medicine to control the excessive weight gains and eliminate unwanted fat from one’s body. The

40-seconds long ad comically depicts obese people in various settings to highlight how they are

ostracized by the society. For instance, the ad starts with a situation of a portly man who reaches office in

his car. He then tries to enter the building by passing through metal detector but is unable to do so due to

his physique. In the next scene, the same man tries to use an elevator but is unable to do so since the

elevator overloads due to his excessive weight. In each scene, the onlookers cast a judgmental look at

each obese person. Each scene ends with the seemingly harmless message “Waza Ghatayein, Sehat

Payein”. However, the setting of the ad and the context within which it is used is problematic. The central

message of the advertisement is that only people with a specific body figure are socially acceptable, and

that it is not possible for overweight people to function properly.

The ad is still being run in some local channels of Pakistan. Unfortunately, the message being delivered is

so strong and relevant for our general public that they fail to identify the absurdity of the problematic

message being delivered through the advertisement.