Cameraphones help dieters keep track of meals

Dieters in the US and Canada are photographing their food with camera phones and sending them to dieticians, thanks to a new service that takes advantage of mobile technology to create online meal diaries.

MyFoodPhone, which is based in Quebec City, allows the weight-conscious to upload images of each meal to a web-based food journal and receive feedback from clinicians.

If the content of the food isn’t obvious – such as a closed sandwich – users are encouraged to make videos explaining the content of the meal, which can be uploaded in the same way.

"This is a way to take a registered dietician with you to every meal," Marc Onigman, vice-president of operating company NATS, told the Wall Street Journal.

Each week, customers receive video feedback from dieticians who comment on their choices of meal, offering positive suggestions on individual items. The online food diary also features ‘dashboard dials’ showing how much of each food group has been eaten per week, and whether users should be eating greater or fewer amounts of certain foods.

According to studies cited by NATS, keeping a food diary while on a diet dramatically increases the possibility of success, and make you more aware of how much you are eating and how often. The Harvard School of Public Health said that food diaries in general "can make you more aware of exactly how much you are eating".

Sara Schaefer Munoz, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal who tested the MyFoodPhone service, said: "MyFoodPhone is more convenient than a traditional food journal, assuming the user keeps her cellphone with her and charged."

However, for those not wishing to advertise their weight-loss regime to others, taking pictures of your food for a diary is tricky: "Sitting down along in a restaurant and announcing into my phone, ‘This is a sandwich of cheese, salami and peppers,’ drew some odd looks from people at a table nearby."

The service is available in the US and Canada and costs $149/month. A ‘Lite’ service is also planned, costing $9.99/month.

Links

MyFoodPhone