Sarah Di Lorenzo: Are food tracking apps helping or harming your health? What to know before using tech tools

In my years of clinical experience I have had hundreds of patients come into my clinic proudly showing me how they track their food. Tracking apps are used across ages, but younger adults seem to be the most frequent, with usage dropping steadily for middle and older age groups. Research shows around 20 per cent of 50+ smartphone or tablet owners report using nutrition apps at all, and less frequently than the younger groups.

Food tracking apps can be powerful tools for awareness and changing behaviour. I have seen success for some but not for others. They also come with downsides especially around accuracy and relationship with food. Much of it comes down to the individual — what works for some may be an obsession with others.

There are many factors that can make apps worthwhile. For starters there is an increased awareness of what you are actually eating each day by logging meals. This really makes people notice how often they eat, their choices portion sizes and this information can support weight loss and chronic disease management.

Plus they can help change your behaviour. Seeing numbers for calories, macronutrients, fibre, or daily intake of protein can really help some people align their intake with their health goals and address bad habits. For example eating more fruit and vegetables and much less junk, refined and processed foods.

They can be convenient for some people. Barcode scanners, shopping lists, saved meals and recipe libraries can make it easier to keep track and stay on track. There are also some apps that offer coaching tips or pattern summaries as well. Some might link t your supermarket, creating an instant shopping list to add to your cart.

Apps can help with goal setting and accountability, as they set targets and show trends, which improves adherence.

But there is a downside to using food tracking apps. For starters there can be problems with accuracy. Many popular apps underestimate energy and fat and have incorrect guidelines around protein. This is due to user-generated databases and non–country-specific data. This can mislead users about their true intake.

As well, looking numbers instead of listening to your body signals is a common issue, with the focus on “hitting targets” instead of hunger, satiety or satisfaction. This can erode intuitive eating and flexibility. It’s something I see a lot with food app users.

Apps aren’t really personalised, often using generic equations and activity estimates that may be off by 20–50 per cent. I recall when one particular app came out that showed exercise in a day v calorie intake. If they did not meet up in the app then you were encouraged to eat more to match the energy in energy out model. This was a huge failure in my professional opinion — you can not out train overeating.

They can also be time-consuming and inconvenient. The process of entering mixed dishes or when you are at a restaurant, entering meals is tedious and can lead people to avoid certain foods just because they’re hard to log. Not to mention not really social when eating out with others.

There are also possible mental health concerns, with a link between calorie-counting apps and anxiety, obsessiveness and disordered eating in susceptible people. There are no built-in safety checks when food intake is too low.

You should question who sponsors the app you’re using. Who are the investors and what are the qualifications of the professionals who put them together? All of these can influence the guidelines in the app.

So are bad or are they good for you? If you feel that apps work for you, and they get you to a goal in a healthy way, then that’s great — apps are for you. But do your research into the app of choice.

A good plan is to learn what you can from an app and build your awareness, then gradually transition to more intuitive, skill-based eating. This is a long term solution. The priority should be nutrient density and food quality over just hitting calories or macros.

For those with a history of disordered eating, high perfectionism, or feel increasingly anxious or guilty around logging then apps could be best avoided. It comes down to what is best for you.