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New research from Curtin University suggests that taking photos of your food isn't just a way to fill your social media feeds – it could be the key to improving your eating habits.
In the feeding study, researchers weighed meals and served them to participants for breakfast, lunch, and dinner over the course of a day. “Accuracy of Energy and Nutrient Intake Estimates Versus Actual Intake Using Four Technology-Assisted Dietary Assessment Methods: A Randomized Crossover Feeding Study” was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Participants compared different technology-assisted methods to recall what they had eaten in the past 24 hours.
In one method, participants were asked to take photos of their meals using a mobile Food Record app.
These photographs were analyzed by a research dietitian.
The study found that the group who took photos of their food were much more accurate in their nutritional intake than participants who were asked to recall what they had eaten.
First author, PhD student Claire Whitton, said this was the largest school feeding study to use a mobile food-logging app and the findings could have big implications for the way people keep track of what they're eating.
“Accurate and reliable data about what people are eating is key to helping them optimise their health,” Whitton said.
“People can sometimes have a hard time remembering what they've eaten, but this study shows that dietary assessments are accurate, and asking them to take pictures of what they've eaten can ease the burden for the person in particular.”
The study involved experts analysing photos of food, but work is underway to streamline the process.
The team is working with Purdue University in the US to use artificial intelligence to automatically analyse food in photos.
Professor Deborah Kerr, study leader and co-creator of the mobile food recording app, said this was an exciting development in getting a full picture of what people are eating.
“You only need to take a photo for one day, which makes it much easier to track what you're consuming,” Carr says.
“It would be even easier if we could fully automate the analysis of food in a photo.
“With advances in AI technology, this may soon become a reality.”
Carr said advances in technology could not only provide a more accurate picture of what people are eating, but also provide the means to give more precise dietary advice to people looking to eat healthier.
“This study shows the benefits of imaging, and this is the way forward for us to get an accurate picture of what people are eating.”
Further information: Clare Whitton et al., “Accuracy of energy and nutrient intake estimates versus measured intakes using four technology-assisted dietary assessment methods: a randomized crossover feeding study,” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.04.030
Journal information: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
