A group of researchers including Raffael Heiss, Steven Woloshin, Erin Willis, Sneha Dave, Elena Engel, and Sascha Gell warn in an article in The British Medical Journal (BMJ) that the increasing influence of social media health influencers can seriously harm the public, noting dramatic differences in influencer qualifications and reliability of advice.The researchers, representing organizations such as the Center for Social and Health Innovation, Lisa Schwartz Foundation for Truth in Medicine, Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, and
University of Vienna, emphasize that misleading trends promoted online and industry influence can cause psychological, physical, and financial harm, while calling for stricter regulation, user education, and accountability from platforms and influencers.