Reading About Celebrities' Health Might Be Good For Our Own

Vitamin G, Glamour Magazine

By Lexi Petronis, Glamour magazine

In case you ever felt like you needed to justify how often you read about the lives of celebrities (or how you actually feel invested in what happens to them--Courteney Cox-Arquette, anyone?), this might be some good news for you...

Recent research shows that reading about celebrities' health issues might actually be good for us. The study asserts that reading about celebs' health can inspire us to seek treatment or change an unhealthy behavior. The celebrity acts as a "surrogate interpersonal contact"--in other words, someone other than a family member or friend who can, in a way, give us advice.

Related: How Celebs Really Get Those Bodies

I agree that celebrities can be major influences--sometimes for good, sometimes for evil (well, not evil, necessarily, but there are definitely stars out there that aren't exactly doling out the world's best messages). If their health issues inspire people to make positive changes--like get screened for breast cancer, say, because they saw a favorite actress battle the disease--that's awesome. Still, I don't think I would skip talking to my friends or family about important health stuff.

Would you? Has a celebrity's health concerns ever inspired you to change? Do you feel invested in celebs' personal lives?

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Photo Credit: WWD