NEW YORK, July 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MyFitnessPal, the No. 1 global nutrition and food tracking app, today announced the peer-reviewed publications of two studies that together offer new evidence on what drives successful weight loss and how young adults evaluate the credibility of nutrition information on social media. Together, the studies underscore a core belief at MyFitnessPal: in a world saturated with fleeting wellness trends, science-backed nutrition guidance and consistent daily tracking remain the most reliable tools for sustainable change.

Research supported by MyFitnessPal and conducted by researchers at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine analyzed anonymized data from 1,359 users who set weight loss goals over a 120-day period. The study, published in Nutrients in May 2026, found:

• Nearly half of participants (48.5%) achieved clinically significant weight loss, defined as a reduction of at least 5% of body weight.
• Daily app engagement emerged as the strongest independent predictor of success: users in the highest engagement quartile were more than twice as likely to reach their goals compared to those in the lowest.
• Among consistently engaged users, those with greater weight loss success consumed lower carbohydrates and sugar.
• Success rates varied across age groups, with adults 60 and older achieving the highest rate at 74.6%.

"These findings confirm what we've long hypothesized, that consistent daily engagement with nutrition tracking is a significant predictor of weight loss success,” says UCLA Chief of the Division of Clinical Nutrition and Director of the Center for Human Nutrition, Dr. Zhaoping Li, MD. “The data from MyFitnessPal's user base gave us a rare opportunity to examine real-world behavior at scale, and the results are clear. Showing up every day matters."

Separately, a study commissioned by MyFitnessPal and conducted by TrustLab at Dublin City University, published in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition in May 2026, examined how young adults evaluate and trust nutrition information on TikTok. The study surveyed 1,016 Gen Z TikTok users ages 18–26 across the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia and found young adults extend more trust to the person delivering nutrition advice than to the advice itself.

• Across all six experimental conditions tested, trust in the influencer was consistently higher than trust in the message they delivered. Viewers extended a baseline of goodwill to unfamiliar creators that outpaced their confidence in the content.
• A claimed credential was enough to raise that trust further, even when the advice was inaccurate. Influencers who said they were registered dietitians earned significantly higher trust in themselves and their advice, and this effect held even when the content contradicted WHO guidance.
• Accuracy was a stronger driver of trust than credentials. Content that aligned with WHO recommendations earned higher trust in both the message and the creator, regardless of whether the creator claimed a credential.
• Trust varied by country. Canadian participants reported the lowest trust in both influencers and their advice across nearly all conditions.

"Our research shows that on TikTok, simply claiming to be a dietitian is enough to raise young adults’ trust even when the advice contradicts public health guidance, “ says Theo Lynn PhD, Full Professor of Digital Business at Dublin City University. “The encouraging news is that accuracy was an even stronger driver of trust. That means credentialed nutrition professionals have a real opportunity. Show up on the platforms young people actually use, disclose your qualifications clearly, and anchor your advice in the scientific evidence. But it also means credentials are a double-edged cue. The same signal that builds trust in good advice can lend false legitimacy to bad advice, and there's no verification standing between the two. What that tells me is that building critical digital health literacy has never been more urgent. "

The findings inform MyFitnessPal's continued investment in evidence-based tools and research partnerships aimed at helping people make better nutrition decisions. To learn more about MyFitnessPal, visit https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ or download the app via the App Store or Google Play.

About MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is the #1 global nutrition and food tracking app founded in 2005 with a mission to help people around the world reach their health goals through better food choices by providing knowledge, motivation, and a sense of progress. Supporting nearly 1 million people in reaching their nutrition and fitness goals every year and with a community of over 280 million members in over 120 countries, MyFitnessPal offers members one of the world’s most comprehensive nutrition and food tracking platforms, allowing them to track their food, create personalized and goal-driven meal plans, record exercise activity, and log their weight. MyFitnessPal provides members with the tools for positive healthy change, from GLP-1 nutrition support to one of the world's largest food databases with over 20 million foods, access to over 2,000 recipes, and over 40 connected fitness partners.

Media contact: mediarelations@myfitnesspal.com