Scientists use the term Halo Effect to describe people’s belief that just because a person is good at one thing they are necessarily good at another. It’s the reason why, on programs such as Election Night Special, you’ll get someone like Bruce Forsyth giving his view on who’s financial policy seems soundest and who he favours. I can only think that is why we’re expected to take notice of supermodel Gisele when she blurts out that all women should breast-feed and it should be illegal to to use formula milk on young babies. On the other hand perhaps it’s just a publicity stunt to keep herself in the public eye? It’s harder to imagine a more unenforceable law though. Can you imagine a black market in baby milk with mothers going to street dealers for supplies? Or someone being quizzed at the checkout to prove their child’s age when buying it and somehow preventing them from giving it to someone else with a new born baby? We can’t manage to stop young kids playing violent video games because their parents buy them for them so this does seem ambitious.
Of course there’s now a backlash on behalf of the many women who can’t breast-feed so Gisele will have to hope that any publicity is good publicity.
