The World Wide Web of Diet Misinformation

Does it feel like every ad that you see on your device or television screen is for some sort of magical weight loss pill or program? Ever try to search for answers to help you lose weight and get bogged down in all the "buy this" or "try that" advertising? Ever get lost down a rabbit hole about some fad diet or nutritional program only to find that some praise it, while others tell you how bad it is? The amount of contradicting information I find on the world wide web is astounding.

Pressure to lose weight

Ever tell a friend you might want to try and lose weight and suddenly you’re bombarded with ads for certain diets, pills, or programs? Do you have friends on social media that try to sell you the next best nutritional supplement that will help you shed pounds? It seems like all the ads I see are about the next best thing to help me lose weight.

How does it make you feel to be barraged with so much stuff trying to tell you that you aren’t perfect the way you are and that you need to lose weight in order to be such? Does it make you feel bummed out? Does it make you feel pressured to look like everyone else? Does it make you feel like a failure for not being able to already lose the weight?

I know for me it makes me feel pressured to be just like all the skinny people. It makes me feel useless because I’ve had such trouble losing weight. It almost makes me desperate enough to actually try whatever "miracle in a bottle" they are advertising. ALMOST. But before I click buy, I usually come to my senses and realize that whatever product it is most likely isn’t going to make me lose weight.

The search for good information continues

When I Google "what is the best way to lose weight?" I see a ton of sponsored advertisements, along with dozens of pages that all promise to be the answer I'm looking for. It seems everything is created to make you feel like the page you just landed on has all the answers you need without regard to your particular situation or medical issues.

That’s not to say that some of the information out there isn’t good information. If you dig around, you might be able to find something that sounds legit. But then I wonder how outdated the information might be. A study on the goodness of eggs from the 90s might have been overthrown by a new study that says they aren’t that good for you after all (I’m just using this as an example, I don’t actually know if there are studies out there on eggs).

Then I struggle with all the links that contradict each other’s information. One source might say that the keto diet is the best ever, but another might shows that it’s not sustainable. So, which do I believe?

You can't always trust what you see

Then you have all the snake oil salesmen that want you to buy their supplements or programs. You’ll become mesmerized by the before and after pictures of people who are supposedly using them, and you’ll think, "Maybe if I invest all this money into it that it might actually work." But does it?

I see many people online now that are showing us that a lot of before and after pictures can easily be faked based on airbrushing and lighting and such. So, then you sit and wonder if you’ll ever find an answer to best fits you.

The best answer for weight loss

With so much conflicting weight loss information online, how do we discern what is correct and accurate? My best answer, dear reader, is that if you find something that you think might work for you, discuss it with your doctor. Most physicians will be able to tell you medically what may or may not work for you. Before you make massive changes to your diet or try an over-the-counter supplement, always talk to you doctor to ensure that your choice is the best course of action given your current health.

I know that it can be hard trying to find information. I promise, I suffer the same fate any time I try to Google as well. But if you’re goal is to lose weight, the answer is out there. Just make sure you are using your best judgment before making any leaps.