Nutrition Tracking Boosts Weight Loss, MyFitnessPal Finds
New data from the popular app reveals that nutrition and food tracking is an effective tool for meeting weight management goals
MyFitnessPal, an OG in the food-tracking app space, has released preliminary data revealing that nearly 50% of its app subscribers who use the app daily achieved their weight loss goal (5%) within 16 weeks, with premium users logging a higher success rate (49.3%) than non-premium users (46.9%).
“Those who actively logged food in MyFitnessPal and engaged more frequently with the app were statistically more likely to reach their weight loss goal within four months,” said Dr. Zhaoping Li, professor of medicine and chief of the division of clinical nutrition at the University of California, Los Angeles. “This finding underscores the role of consistent food tracking as a cornerstone of progress towards weight loss goals.”
As MyFitnessPal points out, committing in the early stages appears to pay off. According to the nutrition app’s internal data, MyFitnessPal found that those who logged their food at least four days within their first week were seven times more likely to make measurable progress toward their weight loss goals.
“Whether you’re just starting out or navigating a medically-supported program, MyFitnessPal offers the tools and insights to support you every step of the way,” MyFitnessPal CEO Mike Fisher said. “While weight loss can seem daunting, just logging one meal can be the start of success.”
Fisher was appointed CEO of the popular nutrition-tracking app last year.
The platform has also been shown to be effective in medical weight management programs, such as Australia’s Medmate, a telehealth company that integrates GLP-1 medication with a premium MyFitnessPal subscription. Those who tracked their food intake with the app were 32% more likely to stick to their GLP-1 treatment than those who did not track foods, and by the eighth week, 37% who tracked their meals remained engaged in the weight management program.
“These results underscore the importance of food tracking in enhancing adherence to complex medical treatments and fostering long-term behavior change,” Medmate CEO and medical director Dr. Ganesh Naidoo said.
MyFitnessPal recently released a new voice-to-text feature for premium members this month, making tracking nutrition intake even easier. The latest offering follows MyFitnessPal’s other tools, such as barcode and image-based meal scanning.
“At MyFitnessPal, we’re always looking for new ways to make nutrition tracking easier and less time-consuming for our members,” MyFitnessPal chief product officer Tim Holley said. “Voice Log is a big step forward in simplifying the experience. By making logging more intuitive, we’re helping our members stay focused on reaching their goals.”
