Developing a consumer evaluation tool of weight control strategy advertisements on the Internet

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Consumer Health Information
• Nutrition and Dietetics

Background:

• Internet advertisements for weight management strategies are prevalent.
• Consumers often lack the tools to critically evaluate the quality of this online information.
• Previous research indicates a need for standardized evaluation methods for health-related online content.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate two evaluation tools for internet-based weight loss and weight gain advertisements.
• To assess the quality of information presented in online weight control advertisements.
• To aid consumers in discerning credible information from misleading claims.

Main Methods:

• Two scoring instruments were developed by adapting the 'DISCERN' tool and incorporating weight control guidelines and advertising regulations.
• One hundred websites (50 for weight loss, 50 for weight gain) were systematically evaluated using the developed tools.
• The validity and reliability of the adapted evaluation tools were rigorously tested.

Main Results:

• The evaluation tools rated information from 70% of the websites as poor quality.
• Significant concerns included claims of rapid/permanent weight loss (18%/28%) and a lack of sensible dieting advice (84%).
• Safety issues for weight gain products involved a lack of warnings about side effects, particularly concerning steroids and creatine (92%).

Conclusions:

• The quality of information in online weight control advertisements is generally poor.
• False claims, inadequate healthy weight modification advice, and insufficient safety warnings are prevalent issues.
• The developed evaluation tools demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability for assessing online weight management advertisements.