FatSecret' s Calorie Counter

Description:

This free Calorie Counter mobile app allows you to keep track of your food intake, exercise and weight. The program features various different tools, including a ‘food quick pick' that provides calorie and nutritional information on foods, popular brands and restaurant chains and barcode scanner for nutritional labels. A food diary and an exercise diary, as well as a journal and weight chart, are also included to help you monitor your progress. Registered users of the FatSecret.com website can sync your online account with the mobile app so that your information will automatically be updated on both.

Service URL:

http://www.fatsecret.com/connected/

Agency Responsible:

Fat Secret.

Mobile Platforms:

Apple, Android and Blackberry.

Details

Format:

Smartphone Application.

Intervention Type:

Lifestyle (e.g. physical activity, diet).

Course Structure:

No Set Course. The mobile app can be used as an additional tool as part of the online FatSecret.com food and diet program

Course Length:

Long (more than 5 modules).

Support Option:

No support.

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Weight and Obesity.

Target Audience:

Adult.

Languages:

English, Swedish, Dutch, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian and German. Also Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese

Access

Mobile platforms:

Blackberry:

http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/1565/

Android:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fatsecret.android&hl=en

Apple:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/calorie-counter-by-fatsecret/id347184248?mt=8,

Fee:

Free.

Access:

Open: No registration required. If you are a registered user of the 'FatSecret' website you can sync your mobile app to your online account

Contact Details:

via online form:
http://www.fatsecret.com/Default.aspx?pa=cu

Research evidence

Research Trials:

1

Research RCTs:

0

Outcome Summary:

One study examined the effectiveness of the Fat Secret Calorie Counter mobile app as an additional tool alongside a ‘podcast' intervention. Participants were randomly assigned to either the ‘Podacst only' intervention or ‘Podacst plus mobile app' group. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of weight loss after a period of 6 months. Therefore, this study did not provide any evidence to suggest Fat Secret's Calorie Counter promotes additional weight loss when used alongside another form of treatment.

Recommended rating, reviewer 1:

Recommended rating, reviewer 2:

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Research paper citations

Turner-McGrievy, G. and Tate, D. (2011)Tweets, Apps, and Pods: Results of the 6-month Mobile Pounds Off Digitally (Mobile POD) randomized weight-loss intervention among adults. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 13(4): e120