Is the Internet a great way to get health and fitness information, or is it a vast sea of misleading, useless -- even dangerous -- data? That depends. If you navigate wisely you can gather a great deal of cutting-edge knowledge that you won't find in books, magazines or newspapers. On the other hand, if you're not careful you might get sold the electronic equivalent of the Brooklyn Bridge.

So how do you know what to trust and what to trash? As usual, iVillage comes through with some sensible guidelines for finding reliable fitness facts on the web.

E-valuate e-commerce. Although the ''e'' in e-commerce does not stand for evil, you do need to assess e-business carefully. Does the site exist exclusively to sell, sell, sell? Are the articles and FAQs thinly disguised advertisements? Is the information presented completely biased in favor of whatever products are being sold? Responsible e-commerce is no different from responsible advertisements you see in magazines and in stores, but should not be the sole driver of site content.

E-valuate experts. Who is writing the articles you find on the site? What are their credentials? Are they experts in their fields, or have they taken the time to interview and quote respected and trusted authorities? Make it your business to learn about the credentials, education and experience of information providers. Don't assume that just because someone has a slick Website they know what they're talking about.