Nutrients, Vol. 18, Pages 1766: Weight Loss Outcomes Among MyFitnessPal Users: Behavioral and Dietary Predictors of Success
Nutrients doi: 10.3390/nu18111766
Authors:
Bingling Wang
Lucia Y. Chen
Hwan Cho
Jieping Yang
Chi-Hong Tseng
Zhaoping Li
Background/Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the associations between MyFitnessPal usage, a widely used smartphone application, and weight management outcomes among U.S. adults, and to examine factors associated with clinically significant weight loss. Methods: Data from 1359 users who set weight loss goals and maintained consistent app engagement over 120 days were analyzed. Demographic characteristics, app engagement patterns, and dietary intake were compared between users who did and did not achieve clinically significant weight loss. Results: Nearly half (48.5%) of participants achieved clinically significant weight loss (≥5% of body weight), with success rates varying notably across age groups. App engagement was strongly associated with weight-loss success, with users maintaining detailed food logs achieving substantially higher success rates than the full cohort. Multivariable logistic regression identified daily app engagement as the significant predictor of weight-loss success, followed by lower carbohydrate intake, higher initial weight, and younger age. Conclusions: These findings indicate that greater engagement with MyFitnessPal is associated with favorable weight management outcomes and suggest that digital health platforms may be a scalable intervention for obesity prevention and treatment.
Background/Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the associations between MyFitnessPal usage, a widely used smartphone application, and weight management outcomes among U.S. adults, and to examine factors associated with clinically significant weight loss. Methods: Data from 1359 users who set weight loss goals and maintained consistent app engagement over 120 days were analyzed. Demographic characteristics, app engagement patterns, and dietary intake were compared between users who did and did not achieve clinically significant weight loss. Results: Nearly half (48.5%) of participants achieved clinically significant weight loss (≥5% of body weight), with success rates varying notably across age groups. App engagement was strongly associated with weight-loss success, with users maintaining detailed food logs achieving substantially higher success rates than the full cohort. Multivariable logistic regression identified daily app engagement as the significant predictor of weight-loss success, followed by lower carbohydrate intake, higher initial weight, and younger age. Conclusions: These findings indicate that greater engagement with MyFitnessPal is associated with favorable weight management outcomes and suggest that digital health platforms may be a scalable intervention for obesity prevention and treatment. Read More