A new camera features a ‘slim-me’ mode which allows users to cheat the lens and look thinner.

Its makers, HP, claim the technology help you to avoid the cliché of “the camera putting on 10 pounds.” However, health campaigners are concerned that the camera could discourage people’s real-life weight loss efforts.

Traci Mann, associate professor of psychology at the University of California at Los Angeles, said that while she laughed upon first hearing about the camera, she was also slightly concerned. “It gives people a way to pretend there isn't a problem when there is one. There are also body-image concerns for people who are not obese. There's enough pressure for people to be thin,” she said.

Many people happily admit one of their main motivations to lose weight is looking good in photographs. If the camera does this then surely the will to slim down will be reduced? After all, Facebook is now arguably the place where people most readily show themselves off. If they can look slim there with minimal effort then this could seem like an easier option than real-life dieting.

Of course digital slimming only goes so far and won’t help you avoid obesity-related problems such as heart disease, diabetes and indigestion. If you really have trouble losing weight and want a helping hand, then it is better that you opt for an aid like slimming pills rather than a camera.

A spokesperson for HP defended the product, stating: “I think people realise it’s just simply a manipulation feature that people can choose to use or not use. There is no social statement being made by a feature within the design gallery.”