Old habits die hard. Just when we thought we had moved past problematic measurement values And obsessive calories, an AI calorie counter proves that we really haven’t changed as much. The new app, called Cal AI, makes it easier than ever to be specific about food – just take a picture of your meal, and it logs the calories and macronutrients for you. The calorie count is now available, fast and user-friendly-but it is not necessarily good.
For some, Cal AI is a useful tool that is only improved on existing calori-tracking technology. And to be clear, we do not say that calorie counters cannot be helpful or educational to some people. But those who have felt personally exposed to similar (even less user -friendly) apps can remember how slippery this slope can be. Seeing that Cal AI has already been downloaded over a million times only increases this problem.
“We are the fastest growing health and fitness app in the App Store,” 18-year-old co-founder Zach Yadegari told Forbes. He, together with co -founders Henry Langmack and Blake Anderson, was inspired to create the app after Yadegari started training to go up and “impress girls,” Technical Reports. Although this is an admirable endeavor, do we really need to know every little thing about the food we eat? Didn’t we learn our lesson already after all the former calorie counters?
“I didn’t even use the app anymore, I just calculated in my head constantly.”
“When you get a caloric -channel app (the) first mistake is that they allow you to say how many pounds you want to lose in a week, not give you the real context behind it,” says Nutrition Coach Toni Fine in 2023 Tikt discusses the complexity of calorie sessions, metabolism and Weight loss. Often, “We have really high goals that are actually not sustainable, not healthy and unrealistic as hell,” adds Fine. Calori trackers only aggravate this problem.
While apps like these can provide valuable information, for it to be used responsibly, you need some basic knowledge of nutrition. IN Another 2023 Tiktok If calorie counters say a user to track calories “turned to me just starve myself and did not give myself proper nutrition.” Commentators in A separate video Added that calories that are ultimately counted “turn into an obsessive game”, and the damage remains even if you remove the apps. “It came to a point where I didn’t even use the app anymore, I just calculated in my head constantly,” wrote a commentator.
If calorie count is something that really helps you keep you on the right track and reach your fitness goals, it can be a good thing. But the truth is that nutrition is very nuanced, and trackers rarely tell the whole story. If you are looking for more reliable information about diet, talk to a business physician or medical personnel who can give more individualized advice. And in the meantime, let’s finally agree not to repeat our previous calorie errors.
Chandler Plante (She/her) is the assistant health and fitness editor for PS. She has over four years of experience in professional journalism, who previously worked as an editorial assistant for the magazine People and contributes to Ladygunn, Millie and Bustle Digital Group.
