MyFitnessPal
The creator of the website MyFitnessPal, Mike Lee, came up with the idea to create MyFitnessPal since he wanted a practical and simple way to take note of daily intake of food in order to help him and his fiancé to lose weight in 2005 before their wedding (Orin, 2014). At the time, a website was the most convenient manner to share this program. However, he expressed in an interview that a few years later with the arrival of the iPhone he would join forces with his brother Albert Lee in 2009 to create an app: “we saw explosive growth within the iPhone’s app ecosystem, and noticed other smartphone apps start to come out in our space, so we knew that a MyFitnessPal app was a logical next step” (Orin, 2014). And so, it was later that year that the first iOS version became available to users. The app became one of the most popular health tracking apps on the market with over 80 million users which lead to Under Amour to make a deal to buy the company for 475 million dollars (Olson, 2015).
The app is currently available for both iOS and Android devices and it is not only used to track user’s daily intake of food, beverage and exercise, but also share their progress with the online community on the app or website (Lee, 2020). When a new user downloads the app, they must sign up in order to use it. They could either directly create a profile on the app or sign up though their Facebook account. However, by signing up through Facebook, which is considered a third party, they not only have to abide by the terms and services of MyFitnessPal, but also those of Facebook. This entails that user’s information is gathered through both platforms. Furthermore, while creating their profile on this platform, users must enter their age, height, weight, level of activity and their goal. When the data is being processed, the algorithm of the system will compile and categorise the information to then notify the user regarding how many calories and percentages of macros they must intake on a daily basis in order to lose, gain or stabilize their weight. Users can track their progress since the beginning of their sign up.
The app is made to use on a daily basis; thus, users must enter the types of foods they eat by searching them in the diary section at the bottom of the page (Index A). At the top right of the page the number of calories suggested to intake on a daily basis is indicated and is based on your info and goal you put. The number of calories will increase if you exercise as shown in Index A. For example, as shown in index A, 81 calories were burnt from exercising, therefore, they automatically add up to the overall calorie count of the day. Then by clicking on the box that indicates the calories, it brings the user to 3 different nutrition charts: the first being the distribution of calories throughout the day, the second; daily view of nutriments with total to consume, the goal and what’s left, and finally; there is the macro chart that shows you if you reached your daily goals of the intake of carbohydrates, fats and proteins (Index B).
This platform allows users to interact together through their discussion forum, the review section and the MyFitnessPal blog (Under Armor, 2018). They can congratulate each other on progress if they choose to share their info or go look at questions being asked on the discussion forum and answer amongst themselves. However, if people using the app would take the time to read the terms and conditions, they would learn that in section 3. Community Guidelines, subsection 3.1 Interactive Areas, they would realise that this section is probably not regulated much by the company (Index C). In that section of the Terms and Conditions it is said by the regulators “we may, but do not always, monitor our community features, and ultimately you are responsible for your interactions with other users” (Under Armor, 2018). If the comments are not being monitored, misleading information could be shared amongst users as it is user generated content.
Additionally, users should also take the time to know where their information is being used especially those who link their account to Facebook. While Facebook is a powerful social media platform with over a billion users across the world, where data is stored in large servers and user’s information can be shared with third parties as well (Djick, 57). In the text Facebook and the Imperative of Sharing the author explains that while users just quickly agree to Terms and Conditions, their information is being shared with third parties that they did not take the time to read about. Also, they can never fully erase their info as it is stored in large data centers (Djick, p.92). Information sharing with third parties is useful for other companies as it contributes to target marketing for users (Djick, p.64).
Similarly, on MyFitnessPal users are victims of annoying ad banners as well as pop ups from time to time. However, unlike Facebook users, MyFitnessPal members can upgrade to the Premium version where they pay 9.99$ per month or 49.99$ per year where ads are removed, and they have access to more personalised dietary plans (Under Armor, 2018). Nevertheless, their inform is still being stored by data banks of MyFitnessPal and still could be used by third parties as mentioned in their terms and services (Under Armor, 2018). The imperativeness of knowing where one’s information is being shared online is a point that the author from the article Anatomy of an AI System emphasises on: “every form of biodata – including forensic, biometric, sociometric, and psychometric – are being captured and logged into databases for AI training” (Crawford, K., & Joler, 14). Thus, what protections do users have? Well, in 2019, the platform was hacked, and it affected the data of over 150 million user that was then being sold on the dark web (The Guardian, 2019). Users were urged to change their passwords as their information such their email, passwords and personal data could be sold online on illicit websites (The Guardian, 2019). This incident shows the imperativeness of users that should update their passwords often for their own safety, but also that the company should step up their security standards to safeguard user information. In concordance, the author of Facebook and the Imperative of Sharing, expresses that with online platform’s user information security is not necessarily reliable: “the ecosystem of connective media has proven a capricious environment in which a platform’s status is never secure” (Djick, 67). Thus, to maintain the status of a reliable and safe platform to store user information, the company should take extra precautions to invest in the protection of its systems.
Another important aspect of this platform is with regards to its ethical implications and outcomes on user’s health. While using the app can contribute to make the consumer aware of nutriments in their food consumed on a daily basis, it can also help to realise what foods are more beneficial for their health. However, this can become problematic as counting calories could become an obsession and lead to a food disorder (Levinson & Al., 15). Societal norms and beauty standards are elements that are constantly surrounding us whether it is through advertisement, people we see, television or on the radio. This is a stress that can affect people on a daily basis, this concept is expressed in the text The Culture of Connectivity: A Critical History of Social Media, the author argues that: “Individuals’ ideas, values, and tastes are contagious and spread through human networks, but these networks also affect what individuals do and think” (Djick, 11). By showing individuals a certain way, they should look, it can contribute to the need of making a change to their physical appearance and getting an app like MyFitnessPal to help to lose excess fat. For instance, in a study conducted in 2018 in Louisville University on 105 participants with food disorders many reported that they used the app: “approximately 75% of respondents answering that they had used the app to count calories. Of the app users, 73% stated that the app had at least somewhat contributed to their eating disorder, with 30% reporting that the app very much contributed to their eating disorder” (Levinson & Al., 15). With the focus of society on putting pressure for people looking a certain way, it can lead to misuse of a fitness related app and contribute to users putting pressure on themselves to conform to social beauty standards
Essentially, balance is important in one’s life and it is important to set weight goals by using an app such as MyFitnessPal, but mostly it is important to consider mental health as well. New users should take the time to read terms and conditions to know where and how their personal data and information is being used by the platform.
Bibliography
Crawford, K., & Joler, V. (2018). Anatomy of an AI System. Retrieved November 16, 2019, from Anatomy of an AI System website: http://www.anatomyof.ai
Dijck, J. van. (2013). Engineering Sociality in a Culture of Connectivity. In The Culture of Connectivity: A Critical History of Social Media (pp. 3–23). Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press.
“Hackers Steal Data of 150 Million MyFitnessPal App Users.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 30 Mar. 2018, www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/30/hackers-steal-data-150m-myfitnesspal-app-users-under-armour.
Lee, Mike, and Albert Lee. “Free Calorie Counter, Diet & Exercise Journal.” MyFitnessPal, Under Armour, 2020, www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/learn_more.
Levinson, Cheri A, et al. “My Fitness Pal Calorie Tracker Usage in the Eating Disorders.” Eating Behaviours, 2017, pp. 14–16.
Olson, Parmy. “Under Armour Buys Health-Tracking App MyFitnessPal For $475 Million.” Forbes, 4 Feb. 2015, www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2015/02/04/myfitnesspal-acquisition-under-armour/#44f221876935.
Orin, Andy. “I’m Mike Lee, and This Is the Story Behind MyFitnessPal.” Lifehacker, 19 Mar. 2014, lifehacker.com/im-mike-lee-and-this-is-the-story-behind-myfitnesspal-1547205813.
“Terms and Conditions of Use.” Under Armour – Account and Privacy Center, May 2018, account.underarmour.com/en-us/terms-and-conditions.
Index A
Index C
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