Doctors list celebrity "health hoaxes"

Doctors have released a list of celebrity “health hoaxes”.

Research has revealed four in five women splash out on alternative health and beauty treatments because a celebrity has endorsed them, even if there is no evidence they actually works. UK GPs claim that many of these “miracle fixes” are not only ineffective, they are also potentially dangerous. In a bid to put a stop to the trend, insurance company Aviva has surveyed 200 doctors and compiled a list of the top 10 “health hoaxes”.

Cupping - a form of acupuncture in which heated cups are suctioned onto the body, made popular by Gwyneth Paltrow – tops the list, because there is “no evidence” it has an effect on the body.

Second is colonic irrigation, which sees water pumped into the bowel to cleanse it. The treatment is popular with celebrities from Madonna to Ben Affleck, but there is no medical proof it works.

Food intolerance testing secured third place on the list. Stars including Geri Halliwell claim to have improved their health by having tests for intolerances, but experts claim results are “highly variable”.

Detoxing, macrobiotic diets, aromatherapy, reflexology, vitamin B 12 injections, extreme yoga and health farms round out the top 10.

Dr Douglas Wright, of Aviva's health arm, said: “Too many women are wasting money following health fads that have little effect. What's more worrying is that some are opting for treatment trends rather than seeking medical advice - they might not be fashionable but tried and tested health routes are