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Commercial Programs' Online Weight-Loss Claims Compared to Results from Randomized Controlled Trials
Rachit M Vakil1, Zoobia W Chaudhry2, Ruchi S Doshi2
1Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|September 3, 2017
Summary
Weight-loss program websites often show extreme weight loss in testimonials, which is higher than results from published randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Most programs do provide disclaimers about these results.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Health Communication
- Medical Marketing
Background:
- Commercial weight-loss programs frequently advertise success stories.
- Understanding the claims made versus actual efficacy is crucial for consumer protection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze weight-loss claims and disclaimers on commercial program websites.
- To compare these claims against evidence from published randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Main Methods:
- Content analysis of websites for 24 selected weight-loss programs.
- Systematic review of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for program efficacy.
- Abstraction of weight loss data from testimonials and RCTs.
Main Results:
- Testimonials depicted extreme weight loss (median range 10.7-49.5 kg).
- Weight loss in testimonials significantly exceeded results from available RCTs.
- 78% of programs with RCTs included disclaimers about non-typical results.
Conclusions:
- Weight-loss claims in testimonials are often exaggerated compared to RCT findings.
- Further research is needed on how advertising impacts patient expectations and satisfaction.
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