ArticleJMIR mHealth and uHealth2026
Calorie-Counting Apps for Monitoring and Managing Calorie Intake in Adults Living With Weight-Related Chronic Diseases: Decade-Long Scoping Review (2013-2024).
Article in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOverweight and obesity, as defined by the World Health Organization, correspond to BMI values of 25-29.9 kg/m² for overweight and ≥30 kg/m² for obesity. Both conditions remain major public health challenges worldwide due to their strong link with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension, which place a heavy clinical and economic burden on health care systems. In Canada, obesity rates are notably high, with vulnerable populations disproportionately affected due to socioeconomic barriers, limited access to preventive care, and higher comorbidity rates. Calorie-counting Mobile health (mHealth) apps support dietary self-monitoring and weight control; however, varied designs and evidence complicate assessment of feasibility and effectiveness.
objectiveThis study aimed to systematically evaluate the structure and content of 46 calorie-counting apps, identify factors related to their acceptability and feasibility among adults living with obesity or weight-related chronic diseases, and formulate evidence-based recommendations for app developers, clinicians, and researchers.
methodsWe conducted a scoping review of papers on calorie-counting apps published between January 2013 and March 2024. We identified 771 records and applied the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) eligibility criteria. Data on app functions, features, user engagement, and acceptability and feasibility among adults with overweight or related chronic conditions were synthesized to generate practical recommendations for designing and clinically implementing calorie-counting apps.
resultsA total of 68 studies met the inclusion criteria. Randomized controlled trials (23/68, 34%) and cohort studies (16/68, 24%) were the most common designs. Most studies targeted adults with overweight or obesity (53/68, 78%), while diabetes and hypertension were less frequently represented. In total, 46 distinct calorie-counting apps were identified, with MyFitnessPal and Lose It! being the most frequently studied. Nearly all apps (45/46, 98%) offered calorie logging, often through manual entry supported by food databases, and about half included goal-setting features. The most cited acceptability factors were personalization, automation, user-friendly design, and data sharing with health care professionals; barriers included technical issues, limited food databases, and manual entry. Adherence declined over time. For example, self-monitoring with MyFitnessPal decreased from 5.4 to 1.4 days per week from weeks 4 to 12, while use of Lose It! dropped to 4 days per week by the end of 12 weeks. Twelve recommendations were developed to enhance the feasibility and acceptability of calorie-counting apps for people living with weight-related chronic diseases.
conclusionsCalorie-counting apps hold potential as tools for supporting individuals living with obesity and weight-related chronic diseases. To improve clinical usability, app developers should enhance engagement via personalization and automation, ensuring food database comprehensiveness, and minimizing tracking effort. Further research should validate effectiveness and strategies for sustaining adherence, thereby informing development of user-friendly mHealth interventions.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.