Look, I have nothing against celebrities speaking out on any subject they wish, including politics, religion, and social issues. Yeah, their words get more coverage than the rest of us but that's your fault, you, and you, and you, and all of you out there whose fawning obsession with celebrities make them so quotable.
One big exception. We're all hurt when celebs speak out on medicine, or what they think might be medicine. You don't get to have equal opinions on medical subjects with, you know, actual doctors and other experts.
The BBC took some actual quotes from some British celebrities and paired them with responses from experts. One is of course on milk, the bane of every science idiot.
HEATHER MILLS MCCARTNEY, FORMER MODEL
"...every day there's a new report warning that obesity levels in children are out of control... The fact that those children who drink the most milk gain the most weight should cause alarm bells to be ringing everywhere. It isn't and milk is still being pushed as essential for children."
Dr Philip Coan, physiologist, University of Cambridge: "It is not true to say that children who gain the most weight are doing so because of milk consumption.
"A US study looked at milk consumption in two to five-year-olds over a three-year period.
"It found no link between increases in child weight and increases in drink consumption.
"In relation to milk, child weight was not linked to whether the children drank full-fat, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk."
Kids who have dairy allergies shouldn't drink milk, true. But other children, including those who are lactose intolerant, will find that milk is a good source of nutrients in a tasty package. Milk is something you can get most kids to drink. And it's far, far better for them than soda. Better than juices. Better than beer. (What? Who's claiming otherwise? A PETA campaign did once. It didn't last long.)
Kids, drink your milk. And ignore the nice lady who does such good work against landmines but doesn't know what she's talking about here.
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