The beauty ideal fuelling an illicit drugs trade

For Altou, a 19-year-old model, having a ‘slim thick’ body is the key to getting more likes and more work.

She’s one of thousands of women worldwide who have taken Apetamin, an appetite-stimulant promoted by social media influencers as a quick fix for the extreme hourglass figure popularised by celebrities like Kim Kardashian.

It’s widely available online. But a new BBC Three documentary, Dangerous Curves: Get Thicc, Get Sick?, reveals that many don’t realise Apetamin is actually an unlicensed medicine - and its misuse is causing serious harm.

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) told the BBC, ‘Apetamin is an unauthorised medicine which should not be sold, supplied or advertised without a licence. Taking unauthorised medicines can have serious health consequences’.

The MHRA is investigating the sale of this product following the BBC’s enquiries.

Dangerous Curves: Get Thicc, Get Sick? is on BBC iPlayer now

Produced by Jamie Ryan & Naomi Pallas

Filmed by Naomi Pallas

Edited by Owen Kean & Gerard Groves

Assistant Producer: Jade Thompson

Graphics by Gerard Groves

Executive Producer: Nisha Lilia Diu

Have you seen Apetamin advertised in or available in the UK? Are you affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, external.

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