Efficacy of smartphone applications for weight loss

In recent years, smartphone applications (« apps ») for weight loss have emerged on the market. Their potential in the management of overweight or obesity is interesting thanks to their various features discussed in the article. The analyzed studies show that apps allow significant weight reduction, however without showing any difference with other interventions. In the future, functions based on artificial intelligence may be useful tools to improve patients' adherence to weight loss programs. Moreover, these apps present deficiencies in terms of respect of scientific evidence and the contribution of health experts in their design. In the future, interdisciplinary collaboration between developers, researchers and clinicians is necessary before considering the use of these apps in current practice.