The Study
Tracking every bite and step: Associations between diet and fitness app use, disordered eating, body image concern and compulsive exercise.
This study asked women if they used fitness apps and how they felt about their bodies, then found that people who used apps often also said they felt worse about themselves. But it didn't watch them over time, so we can't tell if the apps made them feel bad, or if they used the apps because they already felt bad.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Some apps make you count every bite and step — but for some young women, this can make them obsess over their shape and exercise too much.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — this isn't just a small difference; it suggests these apps may push people toward unhealthy habits, especially if they already care a lot about looking 'fit'.
- 2Women using diet or diet+fitness apps had worse body image and more compulsive exercise than those using fitness-only apps.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Psychology of sport and exercise
Year
2025
Authors
Isabella Anderberg, E. Kemps, I. Prichard
Related Content
Claims (6)
Using daily point systems to track diet adherence is linked to the development of unhealthy eating patterns.
Young women who strongly believe in the societal ideal of a lean, muscular body show a stronger link between using diet and fitness apps and engaging in disordered eating behaviors.
Women aged 17–35 who use apps that track calories or both diet and exercise show higher levels of disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, and compulsive exercise than those who use apps that track only exercise or no apps.
People who use fitness apps and follow diets are more likely to exercise because they want to change their body shape, and this type of exercise is linked to disordered eating symptoms.
Women who use apps that track both diet and exercise report higher levels of disordered eating and body dissatisfaction than women who use apps that track only exercise.
Young women who use diet and fitness apps show higher levels of compulsive exercise compared to those who do not.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.