Smartphone apps for appetite control

Dr. Marion Rose is pretty good at advising folks how to lose a few pounds. But when the pediatric cardiologist decided to take up dieting for herself, she turned to her iPhone.

Each day, she uses an app on the phone to log what she eats, allowing her to adjust her diet as the day goes by. She also can scan the bar codes on commercial food products to get information about them.

"I successfully lost weight and have been able to keep it off when I maintain the log," said Rose, who works at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip. "At times, if I stop logging, I might get off track and the weight starts to drift up. Once I start logging again and making smarter choices, the weight comes off."

She even uses the apps to show her young patients how they can use them to stay healthy.

Rose has plenty of company. Smartphones and online connectivity are allowing dieters to use technology to drop pounds on their own without feeling alone.

Big companies like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig offer weight-loss programs online. They'll track your progress, offer suggestions and recipes, and even nag you.

Support, in private

The online programs can be perfect for certain types of people, such as those who are busy or not inclined to attend support group meetings, said clinical nutritionist and registered dietitian Cathleen Davis, who also works at Good Samaritan.

"If people aren't interested in sharing their life stories and struggles with people, that's when Weight Watchers online is great," Davis said.

Some online programs are free. Others charge about $20 a month for extra bells and whistles, said Katie Barbera, a registered dietitian and nutritionist with the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in Manhasset.

A wide variety of apps is also available for smartphones, and many of those are free, too. Kids on diets are especially big fans of them, said Davis, who works with children.

Barbera said that many of the free apps are quite useful, citing as an example MyFitnessPal, which lets users track and plan their daily diets. Davis, who's also a fan of the app, said it doesn't just suck up information about your diet but rather "gives you great feedback and will tell you if you're low on calcium or protein or too high in carbs."

But users should be careful to make sure the apps are reliable and don't offer potentially dangerous guidance, Barbera said.

"I'd start with something that's free and has a good reputation," she suggested. "Check to see if there are a lot of users and reviews." And when it comes to diet recommendations from an app, "I'd want to double-check its accuracy or try to get a second opinion," she said.

People with such health concerns as diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure should be careful to make sure their app or online program allows them to tailor their diet to their individual needs, she added.

A variety of apps

Rose said she has used a number of apps in her own online dieting efforts, including Lose It!, MyNet

Diary, MyFitnessPal and Calorie Counter. "I prefer using a smartphone app over a computer for lifestyle reasons," she said. "I can enter food and exercise throughout the day, which can be easier than waiting until the end of the day and entering it at once."

She offered additional suggestions for people just starting to use apps and online sites to help them shed pounds. "Don't get discouraged," Rose said. "This is a learning experience. It's very helpful to learn what you are currently eating and what changes can be made to best improve your health." For instance, she said that "the first few days take the longest to log, after a food is entered once, the app makes it easier to choose that food again."

"Diets aren't a quick fix," she said. "But this is a great way to make a long-term lifestyle change."