Are weight loss apps reliable?

Are weight loss apps reliable? In today's society, most people regard thinness as beauty, and they blindly pursue skinny beauty. , Now that the information age is relatively developed, everyone will use various APPs to learn about various weight loss methods. So, are weight loss APPs reliable? Are weight loss APPs reliable? 1

Nowadays APPs have become a part of our lives, such as Tantan (social networking) and Xiaohongshu (community e-commerce platform) have become popular among young people. People’s new favorite. Among the many medical and health apps, weight loss apps also belong to one category. Many people open the app during exercise to record their footprints and physical energy consumption.

But are there any effects of using these apps? Foreign researchers have conducted a series of studies. From the research results of several consecutive years, it can be seen that the effect of weight loss APPs is indeed limited. Although they are better than nothing, if they are improved and improved on the existing basis, I believe these apps can definitely play a role. It should be valuable and truly become a slimming tool for all obese people.

The substantial effect of weight loss APP is not obvious

The latest research comes from an experimental result published in the magazine "Obesity" on November 4 last year. Research from Duke University shows that although the use of mobile apps can continuously track exercise, calories and weight loss results, in fact, on average, weight loss apps do not have a substantial effect on young people. Research provides a clear insight into the complexity of weight loss and the limitations of relying on weight loss app methods. The target users of the cheap and convenient app entrance are young people aged 18 to 35 who are keen on new technologies.

The 35-year-old age group is overweight or obese. Duke University professor Laura Svetkey, the main author of the research results, believes that according to the characteristics of this age group’s preference for new technologies, it is expected to use the latest technology to intervene or correct Their behavior, after all, these people's living habits have not yet been finalized and are easy to change. Human intervention can avoid the occurrence of cardiovascular, hypertension, diabetes and other diseases.

The study randomly surveyed 365 overweight young people between the ages of 18 and 35, divided into two groups. The first experimental group was required to use a free Android APP called CITY (Cell Phone Intervention for You). ), the app was jointly developed by researchers at Duke University and the Internet Medical Research Team at Northeastern University.

Like many other apps on the market, CITY can track caloric intake, activity levels and weight loss plans. It also provides weight loss tips and meets users’ social needs. On average, users of the app lost 2 pounds after two years, while members of the control group who only read exercise and nutrition brochures also lost about 2 pounds, so in fact, two methods The effect is almost the same.

I believe that for some people, APP is useful, but generally speaking, the effect of using APP is not much different from that of the control group. Although this does not completely deny that all APPs are useless for weight loss, it does The app has little effect. In fact, other studies have shown that if subjects can receive personalized guidance from a weight loss coach and participate in behavioral intervention, the weight loss effect can be guaranteed, but the drawback is that the labor cost is too high.

In this study, fitness coaches will meet with the subjects once a week for six consecutive weeks, and then follow up with them through monthly phone conferences. Finally, it was found that all experimental members in the coaching group were better than the control group. The APP group lost more weight on average, about 8 pounds after one year, while the control group only lost 5 pounds. But after two years, there was no sign that the app or personal trainer group lost more weight than the group that only received educational materials.

Indicates that the limitations of some studies will also lead to the above conclusion.

Although the experimenters are allowed to download other weight loss apps, such as MyFitnessPal, within two years, there is no evidence that those who use the CITY APP and those who increase the use of other apps have any improvement in weight loss results. The reason may also be the lack of interaction between different apps, or the setting of the target group between 18 and 35 years old is not reasonable enough.

Next, researchers will develop tools for young adults, including different apps. Although many people can lose weight in a very short period of time, the question is whether the lost weight can be maintained in the long term. Researchers have been focusing on middle-aged and elderly people, while ignoring young people, but it is precisely the young people who have more difficulty losing weight, and these people need intervention and treatment to resist subsequent disease risks.

During the same period in November 2014, a survey showed that millions of Americans were already using smartphone APPs to calculate calories and health levels. According to the Annals of Internal Medicine (Annals of Internal Medicine) Research on the Internet shows that using calorie counting apps does not guarantee weight loss, at least not much. And although health tracking apps may help users lose weight, the actual weight loss may not be brought about by the apps.

This result once again shows that losing weight is a difficult task. Although the APP is a powerful tool for tracking calorie intake, it is not very effective in losing weight. The researchers recommended the MyFitnessPal app to overweight adults who were trying to lose weight in primary care settings in Los Angeles.

Why choose MyFitnessPal, mainly because it is one of the mainstream apps with more than 50 million users. Users can select from a database of more than 4 million foods and add foods to their daily recipes to control their diet by recording the total number of calories eaten every day and comparing it with established goals.

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles randomly divided 212 middle-aged female subjects into two groups. One group used an APP to track calories and exercise and allowed users to interact socially with other people. The other half There are no restrictions, and the name of the app used by the other group is not known, but they can use their usual weight loss methods, or discuss weight loss with primary care doctors.

Analysis of the three-month and half-year data of the two groups of subjects found that there was no significant difference in the weight loss effects of the two groups. Subjects, including those who did not use the app, lost an average of 5 pounds. In conclusion, the performance of using APP is not better. In addition, users who use the APP cannot maintain stickiness. They use it 5 times a week in the first month, but can only use it once a week in the second month. However, the results of the study found that the subjects who continued to use MyFitnessPal to track calories did achieve the goal of losing weight. That is, the users who used the app the longest and most frequently had the best weight loss results, losing about 30 pounds.

Analyzing the reasons, although many people are using weight loss APPs, no one actually has enough time to pay attention to food calories for a long time. If you cannot use the APP for a long time and follow the requirements of the APP, then there is no guarantee that you will be able to The weight loss was successful, but the APP is still a useful tool. 88% of people use the app to record their health status and see results within 7 days. The longer it is used, the more effective it becomes. After all, some users give up after only using it for 2 months.

And simply recording food does not prevent users from ingesting junk snacks. But this can make users aware of their eating habits and pay more attention to healthy eating, which has been confirmed by previous studies. Recording daily meals can help lose weight. Therefore, using apps to track health is a simple and effective way to control health, as long as good habits can be maintained.

Dr. who also participated in the study. Kamal Jethwani believes that it is not enough to simply record data. An APP must be equipped with multiple functions to enhance weight loss effects, such as the introduction of artificial weight loss coaches, social interaction, cash reward mechanisms, game entertainment, etc. In addition, clinicians should also get involved and actively encourage patients to lose weight.

There should be continuous encouragement to maintain the patient's enthusiasm for weight loss. To this end, the researchers also improved the APP design and developed a Text 2 Move weight loss app to intervene in public health behaviors and help lose weight. Dynamic phone information can track the user's exercise volume and geographical location, and then push targeted messages and obtain user feedback and interaction.

Looking back at 2013, a research paper published in JAMA Intern Med (Archives of Internal Medicine) pointed out that compared with people who did not use the APP, using the app to track daily calories was more effective for weight loss. May be beneficial.

Researchers at Northwestern University tested 69 overweight adults, mostly over 40 years old. The experimental group was divided into two groups. One group was given a mobile medical app to measure calories, but the other group did not use the new technology. In addition, everyone participates in additional health education classes on nutrition and weight loss.

Research shows that groups who use apps that track their caloric intake are more effective at controlling their weight than the cumbersome method of recording with pen and paper. In the first 3 months, by tracking caloric intake, the subjects lost an average of 5 pounds, 8.6 pounds more than the control group. The end result is that some people who have successfully lost weight have used calorie tracking apps, and some have received tracking guidance from fitness group coaches every two months.

Regarding the effectiveness of the weight loss app, firstly, the subjects know that their weight loss results will be transmitted directly to the weight loss coach through their mobile phones, that is, there will be supervision, which will cause invisible pressure on weight loss. However, if you only use pen and paper to record dietary calories, you will not be able to convey your weight loss results to your coach. In-depth analysis shows that such a program design incorporates a self-monitoring mechanism to remind users of the calories of food eaten every day. In other words, if users can clearly understand the true calories of food, they can control themselves and eat less.

It is necessary to point out that these subjects are not technology-savvy. Their average age is 58 years old. Based on this, it is speculated that the weight loss effect is more or less affected by relevant variables, such as familiarity with mobile devices. Or how distracted you are by new and interesting technologies, etc. Moreover, the people who were most successful in losing weight among the subjects not only used the mobile app, but also voluntarily participated in weight loss health education.

Due to the small number of test subjects, the final conclusion is not perfect. However, it provides future weight loss or Patient care pointed out possible reference methods, such as designing the APP to be more refined. In addition, the new app combined with human supervision will have a good effect on weight loss.

Similarly, on October 8, 2013, TIME also published an article introducing the research of the Massachusetts Medical School, and the results were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The article is more critical. It bluntly states that you should not waste money on weight loss APPs, because digital weight loss measures may not be as effective as the old diet and exercise. In addition, there is little point in paying for APPs. The article bluntly mentions the use of the latest technology. Weight loss apps like Daily Burn, Livestrong, and FitBit also fail to make users slimmer.

These apps can calculate food calories and the calories consumed at each step, thereby helping to diet and lose weight. They can also encourage people to be more motivated to lose weight through reward reminders and push messages. Researchers say these apps cannot guarantee user stickiness, cannot keep users engaged for a long time, and therefore cannot fundamentally change users' diet and exercise plans.

Researchers compared the 30 most popular weight loss apps on iTunes and Android markets, both free and paid. Among the 30 APPs, 28 adopted behavioral intervention strategies, which have been proven effective by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the same time, it was found that paid apps are no better than free apps.

Bariatric doctor Dr. J. Shah believes that the institution uses traditional food recording methods to enable 95% of patients to successfully lose weight. Because the habit of recording food intake can help users monitor their weight and allow them to check the calories they consume at all times. Dr. J.

Shah also believes that some patients feel that digital technology has a better experience, so they will recommend certain apps to specific users. The most effective weight loss app includes detailed records of the patient's daily diet, protein and sugar calorie intake, and also encourages users to exercise, drink water, and get enough sleep by setting goals.

Among the APPs studied above, the most mentioned function is the function of recording and calculating food calories, which has long been confirmed by previous researchers. Compared with the old-fashioned paper-and-pencil recording of dietary calories, this type of app can comprehensively track the user's diet and exercise, and play a certain role in weight loss. Even if the final effect is the same as the traditional weight loss method, it is still technically more convenient, and The functions are more comprehensive.

What’s more striking is that artificial intervention in users’ weight loss has achieved significant results. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States has designed a prevention program for people with diabetes based on intervention strategies to help people with diabetes diet and exercise to lose weight 5-7. Therefore, some weight loss apps are also designed with human intervention functions. The above-mentioned research results have shown that human supervision and responsibility are indeed effective in weight loss and weight control.

Summarize the reasons why weight loss apps have unsatisfactory effects or insignificant results

Some apps simply record dietary calories or exercise status, and cannot prevent users from eating junk food. There is no human intervention strategy. Setting up, without supervision, users' bad habits are difficult to correct, but on the other hand, the cost of introducing human intervention is too high. If family doctors or doctors from grassroots institutions can participate in the weight loss plan within the scope of the financial expenditure, it will definitely improve the patient's weight loss effect and prevent other diseases that may occur later.

Users of weight loss apps have low stickiness and will not voluntarily insist on using them for a long time. Most studies show that users are very enthusiastic and interested in using the APP at the beginning, but then they basically stop using it. Therefore, in the above-mentioned studies, it is generally useless to use the APP in the short term on the weight loss effect. Only long-term continuous use can be effective. Therefore, in future app settings, more reward incentive settings should be incorporated, including cash incentives or game and entertainment rewards, etc. Only by maintaining high user stickiness can we win the ultimate victory in weight loss.

Some apps have a single function and can only record dietary calories. It is recommended to add functions in the future, including social interaction, game entertainment, cash rewards and other regular functions, as well as real-time tracking of users' weight loss progress. For example, with some devices, it can send a signal at a specific time point or when the user feels hungry to strengthen their determination to lose weight. It also includes adding a barcode scanning function to allow users to have a more detailed understanding of food calories. In addition, timely push of personalized information, such as emails or text messages, can encourage users to stick to their weight loss goals.

Only by incorporating three major contents into the weight loss APP can it keep pace with the times

Future weight loss APP must incorporate three contents. One is to calculate the calories of various types of food and allow users to understand each item. Have a clear understanding of daily calories intake; second, introduce human intervention methods, let grassroots doctors or fitness coaches and other dedicated personnel be responsible for weight loss plans, and follow up weight loss progress in real time; third, increase the stickiness of APP use, because weight loss is a long-term process, how to maintain it Short-term weight loss results also require methods and methods, so in APP design, it is particularly important to find ways to attract users to participate in the long term; fourth, the functions are diversified, and can be combined with smart hardware to push personalized and targeted reminder messages to users. , guide user behavior. If the above points can be achieved, maybe it will no longer be difficult to lose weight with the help of apps. Are weight loss apps reliable? 2

1. Exercise in the morning

If you are used to getting up early, you can exercise in the morning. However, it should be noted that exercising on a full stomach is not good for the gastrointestinal tract, so it is not advisable to exercise immediately after a full breakfast: In addition, blood sugar is low when you first wake up in the morning, so you need to replenish some energy before exercising. Therefore, it is better to drink a glass of honey water or a piece of bread after getting up early, and then exercise. Eat breakfast 1 to 1.5 hours after exercise. If time is tight, you can have a small breakfast half an hour after finishing exercise.

At the same time, the time for snacks in the morning can be advanced and the quantity increased.

2. Exercise at noon

Noon is not a recommended time period for exercise. Because exercise at this time can easily affect the normal lunch, and lunch is crucial for weight loss.

If it is difficult to arrange exercise at other times, you can arrange your diet and exercise at noon like this: increase the portion of the two snacks in the morning and afternoon. On the contrary, reduce the portion of lunch and focus on light meals. During lunch and exercise time, try to follow the principle of "at least 2 hours after a meal before exercise, and 1 hour after exercise before replenishing more energy."

3. Exercise at night

Night is the most flexible time to arrange. If you can eat around 6:00 in the evening, exercising around 8:30 in the evening is the best choice. Too late can easily affect sleep.

If you need to exercise between 7 and 8 pm, you can transfer some of the dinner portion to the afternoon snack (or eat dinner 2 hours before exercise), and you can also replenish it 1 hour after exercise. Some fruits, vegetables, soy products, gruel, etc. to avoid hunger at night. Try not to eat too much after exercising in the evening. This will not only overburden the gastrointestinal tract, but will also affect weight loss.

In fact, the purpose of focusing on weight loss is to better ensure your health and avoid being affected and troubled by some obesity diseases. However, if you choose an incorrect weight loss method, you may suffer from it. Physical health brings greater impact and harm, so I would like to remind everyone who wants to lose weight to understand scientific weight loss methods.