Health is wealth – but is the wealth of health headlines good for us?

When you need support in life, it’s pretty black and white where to go. There’s a fire? Call the fire brigade. Want some help with your assignment? Email your lecturer. Struggling with a dating dilemma? That’s what friends are for!

But when it comes to our wellbeing, the answer is not so clear. Today, we’re spoilt for choice on sources of wellbeing information, from the latest Netflix documentary to videos on TikTok, or even searching yourself by asking ChatGPT or ‘Dr Google’. However, by now, you’re probably well aware that these aren’t always the most reliable.

So in the quest for trustworthy wellbeing advice, many of us might turn to the traditional and respected outlets, like newspapers. We may believe that, if it’s made the headlines, then it’s most probably true, right? 

Yet, in today’s increasingly competitive media landscape, newspapers are having to lure us into reading articles with various baiting tactics, through carefully crafting headlines which appeal to our curiosity, fear, hope, and even rage – invariably, titles are designed to provoke emotion. Health features are no exception to this rule. 

They’re succeeding too. Research has demonstrated just how influential headlines can be on audiences, as their framing has been shown to impact our mood, health behavioural intentions, and attitude towards science.

Even knowing this, every now and then, we’ll all succumb to a compelling headline and read an intriguing article, in the hope that we’ll discover a hidden gem of wellbeing wisdom – so it’s important that we’re aware. Does the article deliver on its titular promises? Is the wellbeing advice supported by science?

Here are some thoughts to consider next time you’re caught by headline bait:

1. EXAGGERATION: Can it really do that? Reading the full article will reveal whether or not the headline claim is actually supported with evidence. In particular, statistics can be very effective in deceiving audiences – ‘50%’ might sound like a lot, but that might only be one person if the test was only done on two people. Watch out for misleading figures.

2. SOURCE: Journalists aren’t the experts, so check that they’ve done their homework and found some reliable evidence to support what they’re saying. Peer-reviewed papers are the most useful sources, as other scientists from relevant fields would have evaluated the research based on its quality and validity. 

3. VARIETY: It’s always reassuring to find a relevant expert or a respectable study quoted in an article, but keep in mind that they only represent one perspective. The most reliable information is compiled from a variety of published and peer-reviewed sources, as they’ll approach the science from different angles and give extra validity to any claims. Think of it as two-factor authentication. 

4. FACT vs OPINION. Often, wellbeing articles appear in the opinion sections of newspapers, which means they’ll be based on the writer’s personal experiences or what their idea of wellbeing looks like. So it’s important to remember, not everyone is the same, and what works for them may not work for you. 

5. #AD?: sponsored articles can often be cleverly camouflaged as regular pieces, keep your eyes peeled for any advert signs or indicators that an organisation has commissioned the work – they’ll only want to present the ‘facts’ which support their objectives. In the UK, it’s a legal requirement for newspapers and social media platforms to make any paid content obvious with upfront labelling, but can they still be easy to miss. Be wary of #AD! 

Armed with this critical lens, why not have a go? Here are two recent articles taken from top UK newspapers. Their headlines promise a lot, but does the science back it up? 

‘Art could save your life!’ and ‘Six things to eat and drink to banish the winter blues’ 

By Pip Andrews on January 21, 2026.

Edited by Lizzie Blunt, Rosanne Choong.

Image from Pickpic.com