As obesity continues to be a problem and with more and more technological advances, many people believe that directing dieting apps towards the younger generations could help teens live a healthier lifestyle. Unfortunately, there is a risk that teens may become too focused download these apps and track their calories, they become too focused on what foods they’re putting into their mouths and how much exercise they are getting to the point that they can develop eating disorders. According to the article, “In fact, a recent research review in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that the incidence of eating disorders has more than doubled in the last decade.” The most likely explanation is an increased awareness of health and weight loss which is only fueled by our current technology driven society.
I believe that using technology to help better ourselves and focus on a healthy lifestyle is only beneficial if apps are designed in ways that reduce the risks for any harmful effects that may result from using the app. From the article, “To me, the most troublesome part of the Kurbo app is how many perfectly normal, healthy foods are on the red list,” such as peanut butter and granola, says Virginia Sole-Smith. Living a healthy lifestyle includes foods such as peanut butter and granola and I believe that kids should focus more on those kinds of foods rather than greasy, fried foods. It would be great if the app suggested certain foods to order in the lunch line that could be healthier alternatives compared to the pizza, pasta, and chicken finger line. This could be something I would love to have here at Penn State, knowing where I can get healthy options on campus that take meal points would be great.
source – https://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/diet-apps-are-putting-kids-at-risk
As social media becomes a daily part of many people’s lives, especially teenagers and young adults, apps such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook portray unrealistic expectations for users and make them feel like they need to measure up to certain standards. Teens and young adults become so focused on looking a certain way that they will do nearly anything to achieve that goal even if it means harming their body. Many people who wish to lose weight or change their body in some way have relied heavily on dieting apps to somehow will “transform their body”.
In an article I read called, “Is Counting Calories Harmful? Helpful? (Should we even bother?)”, dietitian Abby Langer explains that even though calorie counting can provide an overall picture of what someone is putting into their system, it does not mean that it is accurately calculating how many calories you should be intaking. Many dieting apps will ask you to input your height and weight and then afterwards, it will tell you how many calories you should consume in a day. However, each person’s body is different. Just because a person is a certain height means that they have to weigh a certain number. Instead, Langer explains that people should record the foods that they eat and then record how they felt afterwards. Focusing less on numbers and what you see on the scale and focusing more on how your body reacts and feels to certain foods will provide a much healthier lifestyle and decrease the chances of an eating disorder.
Reference:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/13/smarter-living/counting-calories-harmful-helpful.html
I personally feel that dieting apps are missing important features that would in the end, help teens, instead of harming them. In an article called “Can an app help you lose weight?” by Daniel Pendick, he addresses that people are focused on just logging in their calories on a daily basis which doesn’t effectively motivate people to positively change. He explains that dieting apps lack a combination of features such as consulting with a doctor or coach, connecting with friends and family, and other financial incentives that would lead to positive and healthy outcomes. Thus, I feel that if dieting apps are more designed and personalized to people’s needs, then people can actually achieve their desired results as well as strive for a healthier lifestyle.
Sources: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-app-help-lose-weight-201411207537
An aspect I’d like to specify across not just dieting apps, but all apps that use real-life information (social media, dating, etc.), is how the framing of information can drastically affect the user’s psychological response.
Whether it be counting one’s calorie allowance or gaining likes and followers, each of these apps have some common ground; they are constantly updated by each user’s input. These apps take advantage of this fact through designing the way information is displayed in order to make it more addictive and regularly used.
Social media apps utilize various techniques to frame information to get users hooked. The most common is that of infinite scrolling, a feature that allows the user to endlessly browse through large quantities of information. In a BBC article, Aza Raskin, the creator of the aforementioned design choice, elaborates: “If you don’t give your brain time to catch up with your impulses, you will just keep scrolling.” This frames information as easily accessible, almost overwhelmingly so. This ensures that the user’s response will be like that of a gambling addict on a slot machine, mindlessly and seamlessly scrolling through sensory overload without a second thought.
What social media and the dieting apps also have in common is a numerical quantity to “success.” The most iconic of these, is that of the Facebook “Like.” The like measures how many people validate and engage with the user’s content they post. Though the co-creator of this concept, Leah Pearlman, says her intentions were benign, even she feels the pull of the like. In an interview, she stated how after using Facebook for so long, she began to base her self-worth on her own invention. Framing information like this, encouraging high likes and engagement, or setting rigorous calorie counts, make the user base real life concerns, whether it be their reception towards friends or their physical health, on an application. This makes the user feel psychologically tied to the app, and that has the potential to not just cause addiction, but body image and self-esteem issues.
I believe that designing social media and dating apps around mental health is incredible important. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I feel disliked whenever my social media receives low engagement. I have become victim to the addictive framing of personal information that I am currently commenting on. I think that your methodology to improve food apps is actually really mental-health friendly. Instead of setting a cycle of trying to get a certain calorie goal or like goal, it is better to gently and friendly “nudge” the user into developing a healthier lifestyle or to socialize and engage with friends. Mobile applications don’t have to be so overwhelming or mentally draining. Sometimes taking a more minimalist approach in designing and framing information is best.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-44640959
https://medium.com/phlowzone/the-harmful-effects-of-likes-and-followers-8ca320661dc5