Report · Culture

For diet advice, doctors are the first stop

Reading

Doctors tower over every other messenger on diet advice: about three-quarters of Americans (74%) would be most inclined to listen to a doctor about whether to start or stop eating something, according to a May 2026 Verasight survey.

Scientists are the only other source in double digits (15%). Religious leaders (5%), celebrities or social-media influencers (3%), academic content creators (2%), and elected officials and journalists (1% each) trail far behind.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

For diet advice, doctors are the first stop.

If one of these entities recommended you start or stop eating something, who would you be the most inclined to listen to?

  • Doctor 73.9%
  • Scientist 14.6%
  • Religious Leader 4.5%
  • Celebrity/Social Media Influencer 2.6%
  • Academic Content Creator 1.9%
  • Elected Official 1.3%
  • Journalist 1.2%

2026 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.3%

daily_life

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.3%
Module
daily_life

Source

Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.

https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.