20th March 2019

Why the public have had enough of experts and would rather listen to Gwyneth Paltrow

I am the expert and you must listen to me! Have I lost you? I don’t blame you. Communicating complex science is always going to be tricky. But most people wouldn’t claim to understand or have experience of astrophysics whereas everyone eats, so everyone can claim to have knowledge about nutrition. A quick glance at the #nutrition hashtag on Instagram reveals that the majority of the content comes from brands, influencers and celebrities and not from registered professionals with a background in nutrition. Obviously, this means that pseudoscience and miracle cures drown out the facts, which is to the detriment of public health but what can and should people like me do about it? “A lie can travel halfway around […]