The holiday season is over, and burning off those extra pounds is on many people’s minds.

The Internet can be a good place to find guidance for living a healthy lifestyle, but experts said students should be cautious when using Web sites to plan their diets.

“Information [on the Web] can come from anyone; be sure to check credentials,” said Becky Hammitt, dietitian at the Student Wellness Center.

Depending on which search engine is used, there are hundreds to thousands of dieting Web sites on the Information Superhighway, but students interested in using one of the sites should consider the source first.

“Because anyone can post things on the Web, it needs to be approached with a tremendous wariness,” said Kevin Schalinske, assistant professor of food science and human nutrition. “Accuracy of information is sometimes hard to determine.”

The American Dietetics Association Web site, www.eatright.org, was recommended by both Hammitt and representatives from the Mary Greeley Medical Center as the best place for reputable information. The ADA site also provides links to other useful sources for prospective dieters.

Hammitt said the Shape Up America Web site, www.shapeup.org, was another valuable place to start.

“You type in personal information, and they give you an assessment,” she said. The Shape Up America site also offers recipes for health-conscious meals.

Schalinske recommended visiting a university Web site or research-based organizations to get fitness-related information.

Another one of the more helpful Web sites for dieting is Ediets.com, which boasts an online community of almost 800,000 people, all of whom have access to support groups, health advisers, an animated fitness instructor and specialized diet plans for men and women.

Despite the scores of Web sites devoted to helping people lose weight, Hammitt still said she would always recommend a trained dietitian over a computer.

“Every person is different; you’d do better to get your information in person,” she said.

Any dieting service available online would be hard-pressed to compare to an organization such as the Student Wellness Center, Hammitt said.

She said the Student Wellness Center provides a number of services to ISU students, faculty and staff for free or reduced prices, including fitness, nutrition and mental health counseling, stop-smoking programs and various educational materials.