Overview

Not long ago, if you were ill, you’d see a doctor. Now, you go online. Want to track your blood sugar? Your heart rate? Your sleep? You can. Need to focus? Want to lose weight fast? Everything is a click away. But who, if anyone, is regulating this? As NHS waiting times grow ever longer and patients in the US are priced out of medical care altogether, online health hacks have become indispensable. From mental wellbeing influencers promoting untested therapies, to entrepreneurs peddling their own alternative remedies, the advice seems to really make sense. These self-styled experts glow with good health and they guarantee results but they don’t know us or our medical history. They don't owe us a duty of care. And they're rarely either qualified or impartial. So why do we trust them?

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9780861549887

Table of Contents

Reviews

'This superb book is an essential guide to the wild world of internet health – a series of cautionary tales, brilliantly told, about the perils of health influencers and the messages they peddle.' —Chris van Tulleken, author of Ultra-Processed People 'Uncomfortable but essential reading. Your definitive guide to separating medical facts from online fiction.' —Adam Kay, author of This is Going to Hurt 'In a world where online medical opinions are fast and often dodgy, this is the perfect antidote.' —Prof. Kevin Fong 'This book tackles one of the most important health issues of our time. It is brilliant, thorough and vital. Empowering for anyone who has ever come across health information, stories, or advice online – which is pretty much all of us.' —Prof. Daniel M. Davis, author of Self Defence: A myth-busting guide to immune health 'This book is a much needed prescription for the unregulated world of online health misinformation by an expert, who knows and understands what she is talking about. The influence we are all under now to buy products, tests and gadgets that often have no proven value for our health is terrifying for society and actually bad for our health. I'll be telling my patients to read this!' —Dr Ellie Cannon 'In a world ever more obsessed with popularity, Deborah Cohen is that rare thing – a truth seeker. Razor sharp, prodigiously researched and written with a balance that is the hallmark of true intellect, Bad Influence is essential reading for anyone needing to navigate the increasingly murky interface between medicine and the online world which – let’s face it – is all of us.' —Dr Gabriel Weston, author of Direct Red 'Bad Influence arrives at a moment when fascination with health, longevity and ""optimised living"" has never been greater... With a reporter’s eye and a scientist’s precision, Deborah dissects the interventionist claims of the wellness industry and exposes the shaky evidence underpinning it. Her diagnosis is uncomfortable but urgent: that those selling us control over our health may, in fact, be the ones making us sick. Bad Influence is a must-read for anyone who has ever turned to the internet in search of better health – and a timely warning about the seductive power of bad influencers.' —Natasha Loder, Health Editor, Economist 'Eye-opening and concerning. This book will hopefully influence how you access healthcare information and maybe think twice before you make (often complex) decisions about your body based solely on your social media feed.' —Prof. John Tregoning, author of Live Forever? 'A timely and eye-opening investigation into how social media is reshaping the way we think about health... Bad Influence takes readers inside a world where personal narratives and viral trends have more power than peer-reviewed research... Essential reading for anyone with a social media account – or anyone who cares about the future of evidence-based medicine in an age of influence.' —Rebecca Coombes, Head of Journalism, British Medical Journal

'This superb book is an essential guide to the wild world of internet health – a series of cautionary tales, brilliantly told, about the perils of health influencers and the messages they peddle.' —Chris van Tulleken, author of Ultra-Processed People 'This book tackles one of the most important health issues of our time. It is brilliant, thorough and vital. Empowering for anyone who has ever come across health information, stories, or advice online – which is pretty much all of us.' —Daniel M. Davis, Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London and author of Self Defence: A myth-busting guide to immune health

'This superb book is an essential guide to the wild world of internet health – a series of cautionary tales, brilliantly told, about the perils of health influencers and the messages they peddle.' —Chris van Tulleken, author of Ultra-Processed People 'Uncomfortable but essential reading. Your definitive guide to separating medical facts from online fiction.' —Adam Kay, author of This is Going to Hurt 'This book tackles one of the most important health issues of our time. It is brilliant, thorough and vital. Empowering for anyone who has ever come across health information, stories, or advice online – which is pretty much all of us.' —Prof. Daniel M. Davis, author of Self Defence: A myth-busting guide to immune health 'In a world where online medical opinions are fast and often dodgy, this is the perfect antidote.' —Prof. Kevin Fong 'This book is a much needed prescription for the unregulated world of online health misinformation by an expert, who knows and understands what she is talking about. The influence we are all under now to buy products, tests and gadgets that often have no proven value for our health is terrifying for society and actually bad for our health. I'll be telling my patients to read this!' —Dr Ellie Cannon 'Bad Influence arrives at a moment when fascination with health, longevity and ""optimised living"" has never been greater... With a reporter’s eye and a scientist’s precision, Deborah dissects the interventionist claims of the wellness industry and exposes the shaky evidence underpinning it. Her diagnosis is uncomfortable but urgent: that those selling us control over our health may, in fact, be the ones making us sick. Bad Influence is a must-read for anyone who has ever turned to the internet in search of better health – and a timely warning about the seductive power of bad influencers.' —Natasha Loder, Health Editor, Economist 'Eye-opening and concerning. This book will hopefully influence how you access healthcare information and maybe think twice before you make (often complex) decisions about your body based solely on your social media feed.' —Prof. John Tregoning, author of Live Forever?

'This superb book is an essential guide to the wild world of internet health – a series of cautionary tales, brilliantly told, about the perils of health influencers and the messages they peddle.' —Chris van Tulleken, author of Ultra-Processed People

Author Information

Dr Deborah Cohen is an award-winning broadcaster, journalist and editor, who has worked across mainstream and academic print, digital, TV and radio. Previously Science Editor for ITV News and UK and Health Correspondent for BBC Newsnight, leading their COVID-19 coverage, she established the investigations unit at the BMJ, one of the world-leading medical and health policy journals.

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