In my younger, more pepperoni-faced days, I recall watching music videos on MTV — a now defunct after-school activity.

Somewhere between No. 3 and 4 on the ‘Total Request Live’ countdown one afternoon, Diddy spoke to me and millions of other teens in a 60-second spiel.

‘Moisturize your situation, preserve your sexy,’ he said on Proactiv commercials. 

Diddy, or whatever his name was at the time, isn’t the only famous face that has been beautified by Proactiv’s pimple-vanishing, soothing botanical ingredients. Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Avril Lavigne and Jennifer Love Hewitt all supposedly swear by the stuff and have successfully convinced countless others to follow in their footsteps.

Acne, while generally considered to be unsightly and bothersome, is not terribly dangerous on the Richter magnitude scale of health catastrophes. But what about when we turn to celebrities for more serious health advice?

A study published this month in Pediatrics found that 24 percent of parents put ‘some trust’ in celebrities when assessing vaccines for their children. Jenny McCarthy, who used to hop around with Hugh Hefner at the Playboy mansion, has publicly denounced vaccinations for their autism-causing potential. Somewhere between being a bunny and birthing a child, she attained the knowledge to give health advice to mothers, all without ever attending medical school.

When did people begin putting their lives in the hands of celebrities? Sure, I wouldn’t let Diddy dig around my brain with a scalpel, but I’ll admit I trusted his judgment in skin care products. As insignificant as the decision to purchase Proactiv seems, what we rub on our faces is affecting an aspect of our health. Whether or not we vaccinate our children could determine whether or not they acquire an unfortunate disease, and a former Playboy bunny probably shouldn’t influence that decision.

Celebrities without adequate medical knowledge are increasingly asserting their opinions on another hot topic in the health world: body weight. While I’ve never heard the Kardashian sisters claim to be doctors, I think it’s safe to assume they stand behind Quick Trim without ever having stepped into a medical testing lab. Ronnie from ‘Jersey Shore,’ whose medical training equals that of the Kardashians, has also jumped on the weight-loss supplement bandwagon as the face of Xenadrine.

Whether a celebrity is speaking out on a health issue because of genuine care for the issue or for the genuine love of endorsement money is irrelevant. The bottom line is they are not doctors, and we are not idiots. We should probably listen to them with some discretion.

On the one hand, I admire McCarthy for trying to inform people of something she believes to be true. But she appears uninformed when, according to Time magazine, there are several studies that prove her claims to be false. I’d applaud Ronnie on his passion for ridding the world of life-threatening obesity, but I have a feeling other people’s bodies are the least of his concern, unless it’s someone he’s DTF.

As time passes, the decisions we make regarding our health will become more important. Years from now, when our bones are brittle and ridden with osteoporosis, we may have flashbacks to Sally Field’s persuasive Boniva TV advertisements and attempt to do whatever Fields said. Just remember, Fields may have been convincing as Forrest Gump’s mother, but that doesn’t make her an expert on skeletal health.

Research your situation, preserve your sexy.

Alicia Smith is a graduate student in the magazine, newspaper and online journalism program at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She can be reached at acsmit05@syr.edu.

Published on April 27, 2011 at 12:00 pm