65 per cent of top nutritional apps are of poor quality: National Institute of Nutrition

HYDERABAD:  Using an app to shed flab and count calories has become a fad. Millions of people download such apps, but using them might not just be unhealthy, but even dangerous, according to a recent study by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).

The study, titled ‘Calorie-counting smartphone apps: Effectiveness in nutritional awareness, lifestyle modification and weight management among young Indian adults’, assessed 20 of the most downloaded and top-rated free calorie-counting apps on the Google Play Store and rated them on a 55-point scale. 
The scale considered parameters like the authenticity of the information, the inclusion of cognitive behavioural aspects, and content accuracy.

Apps that scored over 70 per cent were considered to be of ‘good quality’. However, just seven of the 20 made the cut. Many did not use scientifically-approved data to calculate calorie intake, BMI was not calculated by nine apps, and 30 per cent promoted unsafe weight-loss goals like losing more than 500g-1kg per week.

Big differences found when checked against each other
For the same food, while some of the top 20 mobile apps underestimated the calorie intake, others overestimated it. Besides, healthy eating habits like the inclusion of fruits and vegetables and limiting saturated fatty acids were encouraged by only eight of the 20 apps; and regular physical activity, by only 50per cent of the apps. Change in waist or hip circumferences were recorded by only five apps, according to the study