JREF Swift Blog

Celebrity Science

The current issue of Reader’s Digest has an article on “The Trouble with Celebrity Science.” “What happens when stars weigh in on medical topics?...Celebrities may be perfectly qualified to evaluate sneakers, but that doesn’t mean you want to learn biochemistry from them.”

They mention Tom Cruise’s sweeping condemnation of modern psychiatry, then focus on…

Are you ready for this?....

Woo-promoter extraordinaire Oprah Winfrey

Anti-vaccine activist Jenny McCarthy (the one whose victims are listed on the Jenny McCarthy Body Count, and

Gluten-free advocate Elisabeth Hasselbeck!!!

With regards to Oprah’s recommendations for bioidentical hormones, they point out that if you believe bioidenticals have all the benefits but none of the risks of pharmaceutical hormones, you believe in the tooth fairy. With regards to Jenny’s ravings, they clearly say vaccines save lives and do not cause autism and they stress that the science is not on Jenny’s side. Hasselbeck I wasn’t familiar with, but apparently she is famous from Survivor and The View and is gluten sensitive. She has written a book describing how she “discovered the myriad benefits that anyone can enjoy from a gluten-free diet: from weight loss and increased energy to even the alleviation of the conditions of autism.” Yeah, sure. Reader’s Digest says don’t bother with a gluten free diet unless you have been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

They even included a sidebar with 4 questions to ask before you buy into the latest health fad:

Anecdote or evidence? How strong is the research? Who’s making the claim? Does it pass the smell test? (look for words like miracle and cure and conspiracy theories)

Reader’s Digest has published a lot of questionable medical information in the past. They might have written about “The Trouble with Celebrity Science and Reader’s Digest Science.” But they have partially redeemed themselves with this article. Finally, a popular mainstream publication that supports science and is not afraid to contradict Jenny – or Oprah!