When it comes to following medical advice, one would think that rational people would prefer to trust their doctors or other health authorities. But as it turns out, the biggest influencers on our health are celebrities, even those who clearly have no medical background.

This was revealed in a review of more than 200 years' worth of data. According to the researchers, it all has to do with how the human brain is hardwired to trust celebrities. Study lead author Steven Hoffman explains:
"Our study's findings not only apply to health decisions, but [also to] any type of decision we make,"

"We thought it was particularly scary that celebrities seem to have influence over our health decisions when the vast majority of them have no medical expertise. Or at least, they have far less expertise and knowledge of our individual health needs than our own doctors."
According to Hoffman, there are "deeply rooted biological, psychological and social forces" that make celebrity health advice influential. This includes psychological effects such as classical conditioning, self-conception, cognitive dissonance, the halo effect and herd behavior.

Read the rest over at Livescience