Thread: Celebrities and Science 2010

Celebrities and Science 2010

Each year at Sense About Science we review the odd science claims people in the public eye have made - about diets, cancer, magnets, radiation and more - sent in to us by scientists and members of the public. Many of these claims promote theories, therapies and campaigns that make no scientific sense. We ask scientists to respond, to help the celebrities realise where they are going wrong and to help the public to make sense of celebrity claims.

What’s new in the 2010 review?

* This year, we have seen the biggest rise in dubious theories about how the body works, such as singer and actress Olivia Newton-John, saying that she takes digestive enzymes and plant tonics to boost her immune system. Other unusual ideas about boosting our bodily functions have prompted strange diets, from Naomi Campbell’s maple syrup, lemon and pepper regime to Girls Aloud’s Sarah Harding sprinkling charcoal over her meals.

* In sport and fitness, cage fighter Alex Reid shared his tips for preparing for a fight (he ‘reabsorbs’ his sperm). David Beckham and Kate Middleton have been spotted wearing a hologram-embedded silicone bracelet which claims to improve energy and fitness. And Cheryl Cole reputedly extolled a weight loss regime based on her blood group.

* In health and disease, celebrity views about the causes of cancer retained the improvement seen in 2009, but actress Joanna Lumley and former Harrods owner Mohamed Fayed both get a mention this year.

* And although we have noted far fewer claims about the benefits of ‘chemical free’ food this year, model Gisele Bundchen raised some old misconceptions as she joined the ‘breast is best’ baby feeding debate.

* As always, the review notes people in the public eye who do make scientific sense. Reports of Jennifer Aniston’s ‘baby food diet’ caused some raised eyebrows, so dietitians were glad to see her deny rumours that she follows the puréed food regime. Jennifer said: “Sorry, but the last time I had baby food, I believe I was one. I’ve been on solids for about forty years now.”

To improve the outlook for 2011, we have distilled our scientists’ responses into easy-to-remember pointers for celebrity commentators.


Two old chestnuts:

* Nothing is chemical free: everything is made of chemicals, it’s just a case of which ones.
* Detox is a marketing myth: our body does it without pricey potions and detox diets.


Two new lessons from 2010:

* There’s no need to boost: bodily functions occur without ‘boosting’.
* Energy and fitness come from… food and exercise: there are no shortcuts.

“When people in the public eye give opinions about causes of disease, cures, diets, or products we should buy or avoid, that’s it. Their opinion goes worldwide in seconds. It gets public attention and appears in every related google search for months. So if it’s scientifically wrong, we’re stuck with the fall-out from that. We have thousands of scientists who are willing to look at claims about medicine and science. We’d like to see more celebrities checking out the science before they open their mouths and send the wrong thing viral.”

Lindsay Hogg, Assistant Director, Sense About Science

Maybe I'm a little too skeptical, but why is nobody skeptical in this world? Just because so and so does it, doesn't mean it's the truth.