 "Ronaldo is facing criticism for promoting Herbalife's health supplements. Image: Reuters")
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the world’s most famous athletes, recently found himself in the spotlight not for his skills on the field but for promoting health supplements online. Known for his rigorous fitness regimen and disciplined lifestyle, Ronaldo endorsed a breakfast supplement product on social media, touting its potential benefits for overall health. However, his endorsement quickly attracted criticism from Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, an Indian hepatologist popularly known as “The Liver Doc” on social media, who fact-checked the football star’s claims.
Dr. Philips, a liver specialist and advocate for evidence-based health information, took to X to dissect Ronaldo’s claims, pointing out the potential risks and lack of scientific evidence behind many popular supplements.
Dr. Philips cautioned against using Herbalife products as he said they are “associated with the highest documented liver injury and liver failure cases” in the world among all protein supplements.
“Ronaldo may or may not know this, but his breakfast definitely DOES NOT involve Herbalife products and this is just a paid (I wonder how much!) promotion for the company. Because even the people you place high on a high pedestal are sometimes deprived of ethics and morality when it comes to healthcare and health literacy when money talks,” he wrote on X.
Dr. Philips’ response went viral, prompting a discussion about the growing trend of celebrity endorsements in health and wellness products, particularly those related to supplements, and their impact on consumers.
It’s important to note that many supplements are not subject to the same rigorous regulatory scrutiny as pharmaceuticals, meaning that some may contain unproven ingredients or dosages that could potentially harm users.
The exchange between Ronaldo’s promotion and Dr. Philips’s fact-check brought to light the broader responsibility of celebrities, especially sports icons, when endorsing health products. A lot of X users also expressed a need for greater scrutiny of celebrity endorsements for health-related products as influencers may lack the expertise to fully grasp the implications of such promotions.