Today’s prescription: two doses of OK! and a shot of Us Weekly.

We’re kidding (sort of), but according to a new study at the University of Missouri, celebrity tabloids may have a notably positive impact on the way their readers approach health issues.

“Based on the discussion of participants, we observed that it is possible for celebrities to serve as surrogate interpersonal contacts for people,” said Amanda Hinnant, co-writer of the study. “Therefore, it would be less likely for a consumer of celebrity media to check with a friend or family member before changing a health behavior based on a mass-mediated message. The presence of a celebrity in a health story could serve as that interpersonal contact for the reader.”

In sum, if you’re feeling down or in need of a change, reading about a celebrity in a similar predicament could be all the incentive you need to turn your life around. In fact, Hinnant asserts, celebrities play a critical role in bringing important health issues into the limelight. (Somewhere out there, Oprah is extra pleased with herself.)

Study participants were also shown to display an above-average level of empathy, taking a celebrity’s life circumstances and background into account before judging his or her behavior. The impact was shown to increase dramatically if the reader had previously gone through a similar experience—for instance, a recovering addict reading about celebrity addiction.

Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad free

Unfortunately, researchers at the Onion have found that while this remains true in the human world, dolphins still don’t care about Lindsay Lohan.