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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]
2 clusters · 9 sources · 3 days · First seen · Last updated
Categories: HEALTH · TECHNOLOGY
AI nutrition apps underestimate calories
Entities: Lose It! · National Institutes of Health · Cal AI · MyFitnessPal · Appediet
Overview
A NIH Clinical Center study released on 25 July 2026 evaluated four popular AI‑driven photo‑based calorie‑tracking apps (MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, Cal AI and Appediet) using 102 meals prepared in a controlled metabolic kitchen. The apps consistently reported calorie values about 250–345 kcal lower and fat about 30 g lower per meal—roughly a one‑third shortfall.
A follow‑up report on 28 July 2026 expanded the analysis to more than 200 additional meals and highlighted that the underestimation was most pronounced for high‑fat, low‑carbohydrate dishes typical of ketogenic diets. The findings were presented at the Nutrition 2026 meeting of the American Society for Nutrition. Researchers recommended that users combine AI photo estimates with manual portion inputs or verification to improve diet‑tracking accuracy.
Timeline
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5 days ago
[HEALTH] 2 sourcesAI Nutrition Apps Underestimate Calories by About One‑Third, Study FindsNIH researchers found four AI nutrition apps consistently under‑estimate calories and fat by about one‑third, especially for high‑fat, low‑carb meals, prompting calls for combined tracking methods.
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8 days ago
[TECHNOLOGY] 7 sourcesAI Photo-Based Calorie Apps Underestimate Meal Energy by About One‑ThirdNIH researchers found four AI photo‑based calorie apps (MyFitnessPal, LoseIt!, CalAI, Appediet) underestimated calories by ~250‑345 kcal and fat by ~30 g per meal, about one‑third of the true values.
Sources
diningandcooking.com · elnacional.cat · finance.technews.tw · fortbildung24.com · gpg.portalnova.com · ipadizate.es · memesita.com · news-medical.net · newswise.com