Personalized nutrition apps might not be the magic bullet they’re sold as — and gamifying your diet could backfire.

Some studies found that these apps didn’t help people with prediabetes control their blood sugar any better than standard advice, and others showed no extra benefit over regular dieting. But other research found the opposite — when people got personalized feedback based on their blood sugar, they lost more weight and stuck with their plan better. So the evidence is split: sometimes these apps help, sometimes they don’t, and it might depend on how they’re designed or who’s using them. As for gamification, there’s evidence that people who track every bite with points or scores are more likely to develop obsessive behaviors around food and their bodies, though we can’t say for sure if the apps cause it or just attract people already prone to it.