Last month, a study conducted by the University of Glasgow revealed that obesity was now a bigger killer than smoking in England and Scotland, with obesity and excess body fat calculated to be the cause of 23% of all deaths in the two countries.

It’s a similar story internationally, with the World Health Organisation saying in April of last year that a ‘’raised BMI is a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases’’ worldwide, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders and some forms of cancer. 

In a government study on obesity published earlier this year, it was estimated that 28% of UK adults are obese, with a further 36% qualifying as overweight.

Though there are many factors involved, obesity is caused, largely, by the consumption of too many calories – the recommended daily calorie intake for men and women is 2’500 and 2’000, respectively – particularly when found in foods which are high in fat and sugar.

To avoid eating above those daily calorie limits, and to ensure that you’re eating healthily, as well as meeting your exercise targets and weight management goals, the NHS recommend that you should ‘’eat a balanced calorie-controlled diet as recommended by a GP or weight loss management health professional (such as a dietitian), join a local weight loss group, and take up activities such as fast walking, jogging, swimming or tennis for 150 to 300 minutes (2.5 to 5 hours) a week’’.

Fortunately, to help you meet those weight management goals, modern technology is more than ‘appy to help. For the price of your personal data, there are several nutrition and weight management apps out there which can help you keep track of your diet, exercise regime and weight, in order to help you optimise all three to suit your unique needs. With that in mind, from weight management to nutrition tracking, here are 5 of the best weight loss apps in 2021.

BEST FOR BMI TRACKING: BODY DIARY

They say that knowledge is power and information is king, and it’s been suggested in several recent reports that weighing yourself regularly and diligently tracking your progress plays a positive role in weight management.

Indeed, Medical News Today last month published new research which concluded that ‘’self-monitoring of diet, exercise levels, and weight using digital health tools could be helpful, in the short term, for people with obesity who are trying to lose weight’’.

We’ve been hearing good things about The Body Diary app, which boasts one of the cleanest, most efficient interfaces on the market for tracking your weight progress, BMI and body fat, and presenting it back to you in a series of easy-to-analyse graphs and infographics.

Some of its key features are:

• Easy Progress Tracking
• Tracking of Body Measurements 
• Easy Before & After Photo Storage and Comparison
• Online Backup and Synchronization
• Free and premium versions.

One of the key advantages of the Body App is its accessibility; it is possible to access your data anywhere, on any device, rather than only on the phone you’ve downloaded it to. This is because the Body Diary app has launched its own Cloud platform where your personal data can be stored and is available online and encrypted for an unlimited time duration. 

Do be aware that some features will work in Premium mode only, though you can also get an exclusive 7 days free trial of premium features when you sign up.

BEST FOR DEVELOPING HEALTHIER HABITS: NHS WEIGHT LOSS PLAN

Next up is the NHS Weight Loss Plan app, which focuses on developing healthy habits and routines over a course of 12 weeks. Available on Google Play and the App Store, as well as on printable PDFs, this course of dietary adjustments and exercise programs is approved by doctors, nutritionists and sports scientists, developed in association with The British Dietetic Association, and has been downloaded more than 7 million times. 

Similar to Body Diary, there’s BMI and weight tracking available, but also advice on safe, sustainable weight loss, which the NHS class as between 0.5kg and 1kg per week. The diet plan aims to take a responsible and feasible approach to weight loss – with a reduction in calorie count of just 600 per day under the daily recommended intake of 2’500 for men and 2’000 for women.

Some of its key features are:

• Integrated weekly challenges, such as the hugely popular Couch to 5K
• Food and activity chart, where you can record calories, BMI and weight loss
• Printable form for those without access to a smartphone
• A focus on maintaining weight loss beyond the 12 week plan through education and continued advice
• It’s free!

BEST FOR CALORIE COUNTING: MYNET DIARY

Calorie counting – the idea that weight can be managed purely by burning more calories through exercise than you consume in your diet – is a somewhat controversial topic. Nutritional science has progressed in recent years to conclude that not all calories were created equal, with wellbeing experts Well and Good citing ‘’a landmark 2018 study published in JAMA, (which) found that the quality of the foods that people eat is often more important for healthy weight management than just hard calorie counts’’.

That said, there are still credible arguments for tracking your calorie intake and measuring it against the amount you burn, as part of a more holistic approach to weight loss. Creating a calorie deficit, whilst prioritising ‘good’ calories over ‘bad’ (those likely to contribute to weight gain) – commonly referred to as qualitative eating – seems to be the widely accepted best approach in 2021.

That’s where MyNetDiary comes in. Launched in 2007, MyNetDiary is an online and mobile calorie and exercise tracker with over 11 million members worldwide. Available via Google Play and the App Store, MyNetDiary isn’t simply about balancing your calorie intake against those burnt; the app also breaks down your calories to help you track macronutrients (elements found in food which give you energy) and offers tailor made advice to optimise both your nutrition and your exercise routine.

Some of its key features are:

• Easy visualisation of the amount of calories in common portions and measurements of food and meals
• Lifestyle-specific dietary plans, including Keto, low carb, vegan and more
• Recipes to ensure your meals are delicious, meaning food doesn’t become associated with feelings of guilt
• A barcode scanner is integrated into the app for easy tracking of your food purchases and consumption
• Annual membership is £43.37 (working out at £3.61 a month).

BEST FOR A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH: NOOM

Available on Google Play and the App Store, Noom takes a psychological and scientific approach to weight loss. The platform harnesses the power of knowledge, with behavioural psychologists and nutritionists informing their personalised programs.

Rather than focusing on extreme workouts or cutting out certain food groups entirely, Noom focuses on longevity; their weight loss goals are gradual and designed to be maintained for years to come. 

The cult of Noom is particularly popular with millennials, with #Noomnation regularly trending with devotees to the platform who are known as Noomers. Hey, they must be doing something right, even if it’s only their PR department hitting the right targets. 

We joke; the statistics surrounding the hugely popular app are certainly impressive. With hundreds of recipes on the app, millions of food items in their database, and one-to-one, bespoke personal training (trainers attending the ‘Noomiversity’), this is one extensive, all-encompassing program. And the results do speak for themselves; on average, Noomers lose 18lbs in 16 weeks, and over 86% of Noomers keep the weight off beyond one year. Consider us converted.

Some of its key features are:

• Detailed preliminary quiz to develop a plan to meet your weight loss goals with precision
• A focus on nutrition density rather than less focused calorie cutting
• A simple traffic light system to help you easily visualise how healthy your ingredient choices are
• Peer support and feedback from the 45 million strong community
• Its price – Noom isn’t cheap, with membership costing £42.65 a month.

BEST FOR PEER SUPPORT: WW (FORMALLY WEIGHT WATCHERS)

If you’re seeking a community of like-minded people and the huge motivation and support that brings, then WW (formally known as Weight Watchers) is your guy. It all starts with an in-depth, remote assessment of your current weight and fitness levels and your weight loss targets. Then, a program – dietary and fitness – is designed for you, with points earnt along the way via the app’s trademarked SmartPoints® system.

Some of its key features are:

• Easily synchronised with smart fitness devices like Apple Watch and FitBit
• WW have teamed up with one of the best meditation apps around, Headspace, to help you nurture an even more holistic approach to your wellbeing
• The Connect digital community is one of the biggest of its kind in the world, offering motivation and support
• A barcode scanner is integrated into the app for easy tracking of your food purchases and consumption
• Several pricing plans, with the most affordable, ‘Digital’, starting at £14.45 a month