Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Apr 2, 2019
Date Accepted: May 14, 2019
Understanding the Role of Healthy Eating and Fitness Applications in the Formation of Maladaptive eating and exercise Behaviors in Young People
ABSTRACT
Background:
Healthy Eating and Fitness (HEF) applications are designed to promote healthier living. However, for young people body dissatisfaction is commonplace and these types of apps can become a source of maladaptive eating and exercise behaviors. Furthermore, such applications are designed to promote continuous engagement, potentially fostering compulsive behaviors.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to identify potential risks around HEF app use and negative experience and behavior formation amongst young people, to inform understanding around how current commercial HEF applications on the market may, or may not, be exasperating such behaviors.
Methods:
Our research was conducted in 2 phases. Through a survey (n=106) and 2 workshops (n=8), we gained an understanding of young people’s perceptions of HEF apps and any potential harm that their use might have, we then explored these further through interviews with experts (n=3) in eating disorder and body image. Using insights drawn from this initial phase, we then explored the degree to which leading apps are preventing, or indeed contributing to, the formation of maladaptive eating and exercise behaviors. We conducted a review of the top 100 HEF apps on the Google Play Store, to find out whether or not apps on the market have the potential to elicit maladaptive eating and exercise behaviors.
Results:
Almost half of our survey participants indicated that they had experienced some form of negative experiences and behaviors through their app use. Our findings indicate a wide range of concerns around the wider impact of HEF apps on individuals at risk of maladaptive eating and exercise behavior including (1) guilt formation due to the nature of persuasive models (2) social isolation as a result of personal regimens around diet and fitness goals (3) fear of receiving negative responses when targets are not achieved (4) feelings of being controlled by the app. The app review identified logging functionalities available across the apps which are used to promote sustained use of the app. However, a significant number of these functionalities were seen to have the potential to cause negative experiences and behaviors.
Conclusions:
From this work we offer a set of responsibility guidelines for future researchers, designers and developers of digital technologies aiming to support HEF behaviors. Our study highlights the necessity for careful considerations around the design of applications that promote weight loss or body modification through fitness training, especially when they are used by young people who are vulnerable to the development of poor body image and maladaptive eating and exercise behaviors.
Citation
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