The celeb EFFECT

Why we trust celebrity health advice - and why we shouldn't

- MADISON BOGISCH

When Gwyneth Paltrow appeared on an episode of Dr Will Cole’s The Art of Being Well podcast detailing her wellness routine, which consists of intermittent fasting, vegetables and bone broth, the internet went wild.

Celebrity wellness regimes often turn heads (just take Madonna drinking her urine or Kim Kardashian blending up a placenta smoothie), and generally, they make good cocktail fodder – but what about when we start to take this as health advice?

“We know that people admire celebrities and are largely influenced by what they say and do – especially the younger generations,” says Kamyra La Fauci, dietitian at Heart Smart Australia. “So, when the health advice they are sharing is inaccurate and potentially dangerous, it becomes more harmful than helpful in the health and wellness space.”

So, why do we care about the latest tea, detox or jade egg peddled by famous figures? And what are the dangers of falling victim to the celeb effect?

WHY DO WE CARE? 

It might be easy to assume no one would follow the Goop founder’s bizarre wellness advice or Khloé Kardashian’s detox tea (and its not-so-glamorous laxative effect), but they’re influencers for a reason.

A 2017 study found that everyday people resoundingly take on celebrity health advice, something that La Fauci says has a lot to do with our exposure to the rich and famous.

“Constant coverage has meant that many of us have become obsessed with celebrities and look to them as a source of inspiration,” La Fauci says.

“We associate celebrities with wealth and happiness, and often perceive them to be the picture of health and wellness.

“If they have what we perceive as the perfect life, wellness routine or body, we’re more likely to listen to their advice and adopt it in our own lives.”