Saturday, 2 February 2019

Celebrity Can Damage Other People's Health?


Senior NHS folk are reportedly suggesting that social media companies should ban celebrity endorsements (often for large amounts of dosh) for weight loss and 'detoxification' preparations (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/feb/02/nhs-social-media-companies-celebrity-adverts-health-products). There is often no scientific evidence that the preparations actually work. Some of these concoctions may have placebo effects whereas others are associated with causing or intensifying illness in their ingesters. The health professionals appear particularly concerned about the facts that a) Some sites have millions of 'followers' and these often include young people who regard the site owners as role models, b) Following the celebrities' recommendations can deter the followers from seeking appropriate medical advice and c) It is rarely clear on the site information that the celebrity has received payment for their advocacy.

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