For a nation constantly striving for ways to improve its overall health, there may be a new way not only to get fit but to stay fit too: iPhone applications. With the recent expansion and addition of thousands of downloadable applications, Apple’s iPhone now offers its users dozens of health, nutrition and fitness based apps. iPhone owners equipped with these tools can easily count calories, track fitness goals, check the nutritional value of foods at a restaurant and even help themselves quit smoking all from their device’s svelte touch screen.

These apps serve to reinforce positive ways of incorporating healthy lifestyle habits and behaviors as well as to increase overall health education and awareness. They are portable, easily accessible and many are either free or relatively inexpensive.

Advertisements for such apps are popping up in several popular health, fashion and fitness magazines. In the fresh November 2009 issue of Women’s Health, for instance, the Letter from the Editor noted the recent addition of the “Workout” app, which functions as a personal trainer for the iPhone owner.

New health apps offer a mere glimpse as to how technology will continue to affect fitness in the future, said Jamie Leonard, the Interim Director of the Office of Health Promotion at Student Health.
“Our society is going to keep changing and people will continue to use technology more and more,” she said.

When asked about the “Absolute Fitness” app, an extensive food and exercise database that calculates everything from caloric intake and expenditure to exercise progress and body composition, Leonard noted it is very similar to previously created paper programs. The digital apps, however, may be a more convenient tool for many people, making it more worthwhile and realistic to use, she said.

Leonard, however, also noted the occasionally unreliable nature of some apps.

“It’s a matter of using the technologies that are actually going to work to help people out,” she said.

Additionally, not all apps can replace a trained doctor’s valuable expertise. Leonard was more skeptical of apps such as the “Symptom Navigator”, which gives a touch-screen image of the human body to locate symptoms and then gives possible causes, prevention suggestions, ways to self-treat, what is deemed an emergency and when it is necessary to call a doctor.

“I would hate to have people relying on that sort of medical care,” she said. “You can’t even call a physician and have them diagnose you over the phone. People need something more reliable. So, while some of these applications may be helpful, others are maybe not as helpful.”

Bray Malphrus, a third-year College student and iPhone owner, expressed similar feelings about health-related apps.

“Applications specifically within the medical department realm are good for preliminary diagnostic information but someone would obviously want to seek the advice of a health professional based on the seriousness,” he said.

Malphrus cited the “Whole Foods Market Recipes” app ­— which sorts different recipes based specifically on dietary needs such as sugar free, gluten free, low fat and other criteria — as an example of an effective, easy-to-use app that does not push into potentially harmful territory.

“It comes up with great stuff and gives a variety of options,” he said.

Though these health apps offer several dietary options to stay healthy, it’s up to the actual iPhone owner to take advantage of the technology.

“It’s convenient to have those things handy and with you at all times, but it depends on how strictly you follow their advice,” he said. “With the iPhone, if you go out to eat somewhere you can do things like instantaneously find out the caloric content of a food, which is nice, but its really up to the individual to make the most of what’s available to them.”

Despite the fact that some of these apps may offer some sound advice, Leonard advises using them with caution.

“Too many people rely specifically on technologies or fad diets to solve their problems when it still comes down to the basics of balance, exercise and not constantly eating gallons of ice cream,” she said. “The bottom line is everything in moderation.”