title: Guideline-concordant weight-loss programs in an urban area are uncommon and difficult to identify through the internet.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the reliability of Internet-based information on community-based weight-loss programs and grade their degree of concordance with 2013 American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and The Obesity Society weight-management guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  An online search was conducted for weight-loss programs in the Maryland-Washington, DC-Virginia corridor. Content analysis was performed to abstract program components from their websites, and then 80 programs were randomly selected for a telephone survey to verify this information. Reliability of Internet information was determined in comparison with telephone interview responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 191 programs, 1% were graded as high, 8% as moderate, and 91% as low with respect to guideline concordance based on website content. Fifty-two programs participated in the telephone survey (65% response rate). Program intensity, diet, physical activity, and use of behavioral strategies were underreported on websites as compared to description of these activities during the phone interview. Within the subsample, 6% of programs were graded as high based on website information, whereas 19% were graded as high after the telephone interview.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most weight-loss programs in an urban, mid-Atlantic region do not currently offer guideline-concordant practices and fail to disclose key information online, which may make clinician referrals challenging.
authors: University of Maryland Medical School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Bloom
authors: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors: Ambereen K
authors: AK
authors: Mehta
authors: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.|Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.|Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors: Jeanne M
authors: JM
authors: Clark
authors: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.|Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors: Kimberly A
authors: KA
authors: Gudzune
mesh_terms: D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D020407:Internet / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015431:Weight Loss