mynetdiary @ indiana dietetic association conference 2012

Presented by MyNetDiary.com

Speaker: Katherine Isacks, MPS,RD

1IDA Conference April 2012

About

One of the first calories tracking apps on the market,

since 2008

Over 2 million users worldwide

Available on iPhone, iPad, Android, and Blackberry

Diet tracking syncs online at www.MyNetDiary.com

Online food, exercise tracking, planning, reporting

Community

Data sharing


http://www.mynetdiary.com/

Agenda

Identify pros & cons of smartphone

calorie tracking apps

Provide criteria for assessing quality of a

calorie tracker app

Provide best practices leveraging apps

in RD work


Pros

Low cost to RD and client

Free and/or paid apps

Free and/or paid subscriptions

Clients can usually afford even the highest

subscription price ~ $60/yr

Price of drinking one can of discounted soda

everyday = $84/yr ($0.23/can)


Pros

Educational Dietary choices kcal and nutrient intake

Net calories weight control

Tracking works with all eating plans

Interactive Forum and friends allow for sharing and

support

Anonymity helps the shy share too

Empowering Client “drives” – builds confidence and skills


Cons

Requires some start-up time for learning

Requires use and comfort with smartphones and computer

Not appropriate with eating disorders

Supervised use with minors and those with medical conditions


Criteria for Assessing

Quality Goal setting

Food database

Speed & efficiency

Summaries & reports

Forum & community

Support & upgrades

Other features


Goal Setting

Evidence-based equations?

Default % Kcal from

macronutrients?

DRIs for nutrient levels?

Goal setting clear to client?

Can client customize goals?

HELP screens available?


Food Database

Size matters! Look for a good mix of generic, brand, and

restaurant foods

Has both company-entered and contributed foods Company-entered foods are quality-controlled

User-contributed foods help grow the database

User-contributed foods clearly identified

Allow for custom entered foods & recipes


MyNetDiary

PhotoFood Service

If something is missing or

not up to date: send nutrition

label photos from the app

User-driven – photos are

taken by users

Company-entered, quality

assured


Speed & Efficiency

How does the food search work? Have to type complete words?

Auto search function as you type?

Favorites and commonly used items?

Barcode scanning capability?

Flexible units of measure for entering serving sizes?

Easy to custom-enter foods, recipes, or meals?


Summaries & Reports

How is information summarized?

How is information shared? Within the system

To outside sources

Privacy

More reports on web?


Lose It!

Sample Web Report

IDA Conference April 2012 13

Community & Forums

Access to forum via app?

Expertise of forum

moderators?

Groups & teams

Facebook and Twitter


Support & Upgrades

Does app have regular updates to improve functionality?

Do buggy system problems get fixed?

Can you contact anyone for help?

Among top-ranking from your smartphone app store?

Be aware of brand power


Other Features

Fun and enjoyable to use?

Attractive colors, large enough font?

Reminders built in?

Does it track the important nutrients?


Best Practices in RD Work

Practice settings: private practice,

outpatient clinic

Avoid trap of becoming client’s app support

Great for some clients, not for others

Calorie tracking apps are tools

Adjunct to care, not a replacement


Best Practices in RD Work

Experiment with trackers first, before

trying to include them in your practice

Will you use the tracker for entering

client data and reporting?

Will you simply recommend the tracker

for client’s use?


What’s Next


Diabetes Tracking

Powerful MyNetDiaryfunctionality

Blood glucose, insulin, medications tracking

Reports

Charts

Parting Thoughts


Questions?

Thanks for showing an interest in this exciting new field.

Good luck and best wishes!

Katherine Isacks, MPS, RD

Consulting Dietitian for MyNetDiary

mynetdiary @ indiana dietetic association conference 2012

Health & Medicine