How to Find Science Based Information to Help You Lose Weight

The internet is currently flooded with a lot of information about weight loss, dieting, and healthy living.

While some of them are credible and science based, others are misleading and may even sabotage your weight loss efforts.

Since many people in the weight loss industry want to sell their products, they sometimes share incorrect information to attract customers.

If you don’t want to become a victim, it is critical that you learn how to check the credibility of any information on weight loss you find on the internet.

Note that you do not have to be internet savvy or know a lot about weight loss to determine if a content is misleading or not. You just need to look out for a few red flags.

To reduce the odds of you coming in contact with false information in the first place, you should only glean information on weight loss and dieting from reputable sites.

In this article, we are going to be looking at some practical ways to find science backed information on the internet. We are also going to explore some tips that can help you tell if a content is baseless and false.

Before we dive right into the core of this article, there are a few things you must know.

Misleading nutritional information

It is easy to assume thatonly articles and blog posts can be misleading (1) (2).

Well, it may surprise you to know that everything from diet-plans, health news, and even exercise routines can be false.

Health fraud, incorrect health claims, and fad diets are other common types of diet and nutrition misinformation.

Who is a nutrition expert?  

As you likely know, not all health experts can provide valuable information on weight loss or dieting. For example, a heart surgeon may not be able to give you the best advice on eating healthy and weight loss.

If you are looking for information about dieting and weight loss, you should opt for articles and blog posts written or reviewed by registered or licensed dietitians (3) (4).

You can trust the information written and reviewed by dietitians because they have a specialized degree in public health, dietetics, and many more from reputable universities.

Dietitians may also hold advanced degrees like Ph.D., M.S, Sc.D., or M.Ed. (5). These individuals are required to keep up with the trends in the nutrition space and keep educating themselves.

Be wary of content written or reviewed by diet counselor and nutritionist, as they may not have the same credibility. Unlike dietitians that go through rigorous and extensive training, many nutritionists are self-proclaimed experts.

This, of course, does not mean that you shouldn’t trust the advice given by a nutritionist. You just have to be a little more careful, as many nutritionists aren’t certified.  

When to consult a medical professional

Consulting a doctor after you have purchased and used a weight loss product or supplement is by no means a good idea.

The best time to seek the advice of a doctor is before you purchase a product.

Below are some health supplements you shouldn’t use without first consulting your doctor.

• Botanicals  
• Minerals
• Vitamins
• Herbs

Cross-check the information provided by businesses

As previously mentioned, the information and claims made by many businesses aren’t always correct. They are willing to say and do anything to sell more products.

To learn if a dieting product is safe, you have to find science based research on the product from trusted sources (6).

Tell-tale signs that content is false and misleading

To accurately discern if content is credible or not, there are a few things you must look out for. Below are some of them.

Quick fix

Even if you follow the best diet and exercise regularly, you aren’t going to achieve your dream body overnight.

So, avoid diet plans or exercise regimes that promise to help people lose weight within a very short period. There is a huge possibility that these programs are dangerous and can affect your health negatively. 

It will be in your best interest to stay away from fad diets and extreme exercise programs.

Ignore this and you will end up right where you started. Even worse, you may gain weight. 

Testimonial

Before buying any product, it is wise you first do a little research. Your goal while doing the research is likely to learn what people have to say about it.

When it comes to dieting and nutrition, you have to do a lot more than read reviews or watch testimonial videos. You have to dig deeper to learn if a diet plan or a product is good.

These days, dieting companies can go as far as paying celebrities to say good things about their product (7).

No research backing

An easy way to know if a weight loss tip is good is by checking where it is sourced from. Only trust content that is linked to studies or research (8) (9).

However, if you come across terms like “research is currently being conducted” while reading a content on weight loss, know that it is untrue.

As you likely know, weight loss is a delicate process. So don’t leave anything to chance.

Recommendation based on one study

The number of studies that support a weight loss or dieting tip often determines its credibleness.

Avoid dieting tips that are backed by only one study. There is always a slim chance that the experts that carried out the study missed something.

Truth be told, information that isn’t backed by many studies are usually not too reliable. The reason for this is that many health experts have not carefully checked it.

Many people looking to lose weight have the thought that finding solid dieting information is hard. While that is somewhat true, you should keep in mind that the outcome of applying incorrect information may be unchangeable.

Applying incorrect weight loss information will not only ruin your weight loss effort but also affect your health.

When it comes to your health, you can’t be too careful.

Never should you buy a dieting product that is not backed by many studies just to save money. You are surely going to regret it in the long run.

Warnings about a single product

Presently, many people fall victim to scams because they didn’t do any research before making a final decision.

If you don’t want to be like them, you need to think carefully before buying any weight loss product. It is also wise that you do broad research before trying new products. 

Doing this, will go a long way in helping you know if the dieting product is good or not.

Going through the reviews of people who used a dieting product can also help you learn if it’s good.

If a dieting product has lots of negative reviews, chances are, it is likely a low quality product. 

Easy ways to find science based information about weight loss and dieting

Presently, thousands of websites give out a lot of information about weight loss every day. 

To tell the truth, going through them is hard.

An easy way to find good ones is by checking the end of their web address.

You can trust the information you get from websites ending in .edu (colleges and educational bodies), .org (non-profit organizations), or .gov (government firms).

Information found on websites that end in .net (network) .com (business or commercial) should be properly checked.

Qualification of the writer

Anyone with a decent writing skill can write an informative article on most topics.

But when it comes to dieting and weight loss, you just can’t trust the advice or tips written by just anybody.

To be on the safe side, you should only apply tips from articles written by experienced authors.

Additionally, the authors should have experience in the field of nutrition and preferably hold a degree from a college.

What’s more, they should also be part of popular groups and associations on nutrition.

The right path to weight loss

Of course, you have the freedom to choose any path to achieve your weight loss goals. 

But if you want to build your dream body quicker, you should review your weight loss strategy.

The most effective and safest way to lose weight is by creating a caloric deficit. This simply means eating below your daily caloric needs (10) (11) (12).

To maintain weight loss, you have to build healthy habits like exercising regularly and avoiding unhealthy foods. 

The bottom line on science based information to lose weight

A weight-loss plan with no scientific support is going to do you more harm than good.

If you have been working-hard but aren’t getting the results you desire, you should go back to the drawing board.

Set some time aside to find solid information that can help you lose weight.

Always remember that the right way to lasting weight loss is by building healthy habits that will improve your health.

Building habits that are linked to eating healthy and exercising regularly will help you achieve your weight loss goals.