Did Robin Roberts Make You Become a Bone Marrow Donor?
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow speaks out about cancer, race car driver Danica Patrick is the “ambassador” for COPD, and Robin Roberts is the current face of bone marrow donation. Do these celebrities truly have a positive impact on public health, or does their involvement do more harm than good?
Celebrities’ public health campaigns are the subject of a pro-con debate published this week in the British Medical Journal, where a public health professor and a research fellow squared off on the issue. Celebrities take up causes for various reasons, from having a personal connection to a disease to wanting to amplify their own publicity, and that matchup of fame and charity is not going away anytime soon.
Writing on the “pro” side, Simon Chapman, a public health professor at the University of Sydney, says the good celebs do to bring attention to various causes outweighs the bad. People may carp about campaigns that go awry, or celebrity endorsements of questionable health-related products or treatments, but what about the flip side?
MORE: Junk Food OlymiAds: Athletes Fuel Games' Fast-Food Assault
“What does it say,” he writes, “that we can be disgusted when celebrities try to set back public health agendas but get all bothered about celebrity efforts in campaigns that could influence millions positively?”
As an example he cites the case of singer Kylie Minogue, whose public disclosure of her breast cancer diagnosis compelled many women to have mammograms. And that’s all good, right?
Not necessarily. Among those running to their doctors for screenings were young women at low risk for breast cancer who got mammograms anyway, exposing themselves to needless radiation and false positive tests.
But, Chapman argues, what if a celebrity shared her experience about testing for pre-cancerous cervical lesions that prompted more awareness about early screening? Would the publicity have been worth it?
“The ambivalence about ‘the Kylie effect’ reflects enduring debate about the wisdom of breast screening,” he writes, “but it should not blind us to the potential value of celebrity engagement in important causes.”
On the “con” side, Geof Rayner, an honorary research fellow at the City University in London, argues that celebrity status is “fleeting,” and while stars may give a good burst of publicity to a campaign, they run the risk of hogging the spotlight, pushing the cause out of the way. (Jamie Oliver, Rayner is looking in your direction.)
MORE: Girl's School Lunch Blog Stirs Up International Controversy
While Rayner doesn’t deny that personality endorsements are attention-grabbing, they may be drawing the wrong kind of attention. He uses the example of Lydia Pinkham, considered America’s first female millionaire, who in the 19th century used her fame to sell herbal medicine to women that contained fenugreek, black cohosh—and alcohol.
He writes, “Her modern analogue could be the actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who through her website encourages her fans to purchase ‘doctor-formulated’ patent remedies like protein shakes and food supplements.”
Instead of trusting flaky celebrities, Rayner says, why not look at longer-term solutions such as using the Internet to muster public support?
“Rather than relying on media stunts (health campaigners) need to look to legal action and perhaps more local campaigns—by us, not for us. … Some celebrities might help, but let’s not look for saviors, buoyed by the happy thought that the work is done when a celebrity is involved. That’s a lie too.”
ABC News asked Dr. Tom Linden, a medical journalism professor at the University of North Carolina, to weigh in on the debate. His assessment? It was a draw—celebrity endorsements have positive and negative aspects.
"It all depends on the quality of information that the celebrity is purveying," he said. "If it's good information, it can inform. If it's bad information, it can promote a lot of harm.”
Do you think celebrity involvement in public health campaigns is a good idea, or should they stay away from endorsements and drives? Let us know in the comments.
Related Stories on TakePart:
• Clip of the Day: Zach Galifianakis Wants to Stop AIDS (VIDEO)
• Caregivers Let Out a Silent Scream in New PSA Campaign
• Obesity Campaigns That Don't Work
Jeannine Stein, a California native, wrote about health for the Los Angeles Times. In her pursuit of a healthy lifestyle she has taken countless fitness classes, hiked in Nepal, and has gotten in a boxing ring. Email Jeannine | TakePart.com