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Lifestyle

Dieting? There's an app for fat

Virtual coaching and other online services can help people lose weight

The market for food and fitness tracking websites and mobile applications on the market has exploded in recent years, with many products tapping into the hallmarks on which weight-loss powerhouses like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig have built their empires: daily tracking and accountability. A review published last year of 204 applications that were on the market in 2009 found that few applications did much more than offer a medium for keeping a food and activity journal or tracking weigh-ins. But weight-loss and technology experts say the potential for mobile products in weight loss is huge, and the market is changing quickly.

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