Yes, and Americans have become increasingly obese, partly because they don't know how many calories they are eating and drinking. What this optimizes is how much you have to think about journaling. Just check your phone occasionally to see totals, trends etc.
There have been clear calorie counts on foods and beverages for many years now. I seriously doubt a phone telling you how many calories you've consumed vs. reading it right off the can in front of you is going to change anything. If you are concerned about reducing calories, drink all the water you want and log a big 0 in whatever calorie tracker you use.
Weather reports existed for a long time, but it's much easier to look up the weather on my phone now. Encyclopedias, dictionaries, movie reviews too. Just because a clear calorie count exists somewhere doesn't mean I have it on the container I've got with me, or that I know how much I've had so far today.
You're missing the forest through the trees. People are still going to consume more than they need regardless of how many labels and apps are warning them otherwise. High calorie/sugary drinks taste good and bring pleasure to the brain. Solving the obesity epidemic requires re-learning how to consume and work off calories.
Look at all the warning labels on cigarettes, etc. yet people still smoke them. Would a phone app telling you how much nicotine you're consuming get you to change your habit? No, the addiction is much deeper than just a lack of awareness that it's bad. We know sugary drinks are bad but we drink them anyways because we like them.
And both groups underestimated the calories consumed in a meal, a finding supporting earlier research.
Actually, one of the study's limitations is that the research failed to examine those who used the calorie counts and did eat less, Fernstrom says, Because for some people, it’s a helpful tool.
Because, Fernstrom says, "it’s really hard to count calories -- it takes a lot of focus and mental energy when done regularly."
These quotes seem to support the idea that if calorie-counting were easier, some people would find it more effective.
Are we sure there is a category of people who become obese because they are unaware that drinking a ton of cola gives them X calories? (rather then those ignoring the fact it makes them fat at all)
