Mobile users will get a little help battling the bulge with two new applications aimed at dieters.
Wireless entertainment publisher Digital Chocolate said it plans to work with Atkins Nutritionals Inc. to develop wireless content for carb counters. The first of the planned applications, Atkins 2Go, will allow users to look up carbohydrate counts for different foods via their handsets, creating eating logs and tracking their weight loss.
The irony of the relationship was not lost on Mark Jacobstein, Digital Chocolate’s president.
“Though our name may indicate otherwise, Digital Chocolate understands that it’s hard to find the time to focus on living a healthy lifestyle,” Jacobstein said. “We’re looking forward to helping millions of carb-conscious consumers get healthier with a unique lineup of easy-to-use mobile lifestyle applications that they can access right on their phones.”
Earlier this month, WeightWatchers.com Inc. launched its own content offering for mobile users. Weight Watchers On-the-Go, which is available to members of the group’s Internet community, delivers food lists and meal tracking, and synchronizes data between handhelds and users’ online accounts.
Members can browse a list of 25,000 food items for nutritional information, and calculate and track point values. The application synchronizes with subscribers’ Internet accounts, eliminating the need for users to enter information on both their phones and their computers.
“Our customers told us they want tools to help them make wise food and exercise choices whether they are at their desks or on the move,” said David Kirchhoff, chief executive officer of WeightWatchers.com.
While they may not have the sex appeal of mobile applications like games or ringtones, diet-themed content is quietly gaining traction among wireless users. Dozens of such offerings are on the market, from simple short message service calorie counters to full-blown interactive nutrition monitoring.
Todd Hayes, a 43-year-old real estate investor from Dallas, said he realized his iPAQ may be able to help him when he began a workout program last year.
“I noticed the trainers were using written notebooks” to track clients’ progress, said Hayes. “I wondered how I could get my PDA to do that.”
He downloaded Pocket Diet Tracker, an application from Texas-based content provider Handango that tracks intake of fat, calories and carbohydrates and monitors Hayes’ workout regimen. Hayes printed graphs and charts created by the program, and used them to help track his progress with a nutritionist.
Eighteen month later and 70 pounds lighter, Hayes continues to use his Pocket PC to stay fit. As he works out, he listens to MP3s, reads e-books and watches movies on his handheld.
“If I go to a restaurant, the minute I order something off a menu, I can just click off the meal” into the device, Hayes said. “I don’t have to worry about entering it later… I’m sure I wouldn’t have (dropped the weight) without my PDA.”
