Researchers Name Best and Worst Weight-Loss Apps

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Sometimes I find it funny that I work for an Internet company like SparkPeople, because I am not a tech person. I'm what marketers would call a "late adopter" to technology trends. I still don't have an HD TV or even cable; I use a converter box with real antennas! And my car definitely doesn't have built-in TV, Bluetooth or navigation either.
 
I was late to get a cell phone. Late to getting text messages. WAY late to getting a smart phone (I finally got one in January 2011 when my very old flip phone broke). I'm still a little slow when it comes to downloading and using apps for my phone. I have a few that I really like, and they make my life easier in some ways and more fun in others (Words With Friends, anyone?).
 
But apps are where it's at. I know this, and whether you use a few like I do or a large number of them, you probably know it, too. The iPhone tagline "There's an app for that" applies to almost anything you could think of, including your goals for weight loss, exercise, and healthy eating.
 
Do a search for "weight loss" or "diet" on your app store, and you're likely to find several hundred—or even thousands of—results, depending on your phone. Trouble is, according to researchers, no one is really evaluating whether these apps are really do help people and offer good advice or if they're just a bunch of fluff. Just because an app is named popular based on how many times it's been downloaded, or rated highly by users doesn't mean it's going to give you helpful tools to reach your goals.
 
So researchers from Duke University Medical Center and the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services set out to evaluate weight loss apps to name the best and worst; they published their results in the Journal of Translational Behavioral Medicine (full text PDF). They evaluated more than 200 weight-loss apps based on 13 criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health, among others. Only one came out on top.
 
According to study researcher Emily Breton, MPH, the SparkPeople app is number one, according to their study.
 
SparkPeople's weight loss app, available on iPad, Blackberry, iPhone and Android met 12 of the 13 criteria used to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of weight loss apps:
 
  1. An assessment of one's weight (via BMI or other interpretation)
  2. A recommendation for and ability to track daily servings of fruits and vegetables
  3. A recommendation for weekly physical activity goals
  4. A recommendation for and ability to track daily servings of water
  5. Ability to track one's daily food consumption
  6. Ability for users to calculate how many calories they need to eat given their activity level
  7. Weight loss recommendation of 1-2 pounds per week
  8. Information on portion control or ability to access nutritional information for foods based on serving size
  9. Ability for users to look up nutritional facts for foods
  10. A weight tracker
  11. A tracker for exercise and/or daily physical activity
  12. Meal plans or recipes
 
The only criteria SparkPeople didn't meet was the final (13th) criteria for social support, which was present in less than 3% of apps studied. However, our full website SparkPeople.com is rich in social support features (and we have some improvements coming in this area very soon).
 
Would you believe SparkPeople's app has all that and it's still free? Whether you're a tech person or not, if you do have a smart phone, consider downloading our free app to use when you're on the go. It connects directly with your existing SparkPeople account and allows you to look up and track foods when you can't get to the computer; plus simply seeing it on your screen can be a great reminder for you to keep your goals in mind. We may not be the most downloaded app (yet!), but we're happy with being named the best.
 
We're so happy to have received this recognition, and promise to continue working hard on improving our free apps, as well as our other online resources. You can learn more about all of our apps at www.sparkpeople.com/mobile.
 
Do you use any of SparkPeople's apps? Will you try them after this research-backed recommendation? What are some of your favorite apps?