The Skinny on Weight-Loss Web Sites

Granted, tooling around on the Internet probably causes more folks to gain weight than to lose it. But there are web sites out there dedicated to helping folks diet right.

In fact, the web can be an effective weight loss aid — if used interactively. In a 2001 study led by Deborah Tate of Brown Medical School, participants who actively used interactive web tools — to get feedback from nutritionists, join online chats, submit food diaries, and track their progress — lost of average of nine pounds over a six-month time period. The participants who logged in most often lost the most weight. In comparison, participants who used the web solely as source of information for their diets lost only 3.5 pounds in the same time period.

Unfortunately, most weight-loss web sites do charge fees — perhaps $20 or more per month plus signup fees. Here's how to make sure you get your money's worth:

Skip unhealthy programs
Avoid any program that promises extremely fast weight loss (more than two pounds per week), doesn't require exercise, or that has numerous dietary restrictions, advises Bethany Thayer, a registered dietician with Health Alliance Plan in Detroit. And be sure to stay away from any program that requires you to supplement food with pills, she warns.

Such programs are a waste of your money: They aren't healthy, and you won't be able to make the long-term behavioral changes necessary to sustain weight loss.

Find a program that fits
Research all the programs before you pick one, says Andrea Giancoli, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Even programs with a similar philosophy — say, low carb — will have slightly different approaches. Make sure you're on board with both the diet and fitness components. "Exercise and diet are a marriage and the two really have to go together," she says. Be sure to look for a program that has enough new content on a daily basis to keep you interested — and enough new recipes to keep your menus varied.

Here's a selection of online diet programs: