MyFitnessPal App Not Effective in Helping Users Lose Weight
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MyFitnessPal(NEW YORK) — MyFitnessPal, a smartphone app meant to help users lose weight by improving their diet, may not work quite as well as its more than 50 million registered users hope.
According to a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers looked at data from over 200 overweight or obese patients over a span of six months. About half of the participants were assigned routine primary care visits, while the other half received those primary care visits coupled with use of MyFitnessPal.
The app allows users to input what food and drinks they ingest each day, with nutritional facts for many foods and drinks available via a search feature. Users can also use the app to chart the amount of exercise they do and the calories that exercise burns to help get a clearer picture of their caloric intake and output.
Researchers found, however, that there was no significant difference in amount of weight lost between the two groups, and the overall level of weight loss was minimal.
In fact, the study said, many users found the app too time consuming, and ceased using it after about one month.
The participants all expressed an interest in losing weight, though their motivation to do so was not quantified.
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