If you're an owner of an iPhone, iPad, Palm, Blackberry, Android, or other smartphone or mobile device you're likely a fan of apps (short for software applications). While games remain the number one downloaded and used application, apps for mobile shopping, social networking, and utility/productivity tools are gaining in popularity.  

We've created a brief list of apps that may help you achieve calorie balance. Please comment on any of these apps and suggest other apps that you've found to help you decrease calories in and/or increase calories out. With over 100,000 apps available at Apple's App Store (not to mention the thousands from sites like Handango or the Palm, Blackberry, Andriod, or Microsoft stores) I'm sure we've missed many good ones!

  • Locavore - Use GPS or enter a zip code to discover food that’s in season and grown nearby; search for local farmer’s markets or tap 'I Ate Local' to find out what people in your area are eating.
  • Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner - Perfect for those of us who often don't think about dinner until our drive home from work; find a quickly and healthy recipe with ingredients you have at home or let the app spin a dinner idea up for you while you're at the grocery store.
  • Grocery iQ - Buy what you need (and only what you need!) with this tool that helps you build your grocery list; use your favorites list and shopping history to quickly build new lists.
  • GoodFoodNearYou - Recommends healthy food options based on your location, which is tracked by GPS; targets popular casual dining restaurants, fast-food restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores nearby.
  • Nutrition Menu - Calorie, Exercise, Weight, and Water Tracking - Nutritional information for over 93,000 foods (including those from popular restaurants); set eating and activity goals and track your progress.
  • iMapMyWalk(Run, Ride, or Hike) - Uses the built-in GPS in the iPhone 3G to track and record every mile you walk, run, ride, or hike.

If you're not an owner of a mobile device that supports apps or don't download apps for your mobile device, market research companies predict that it won't be long before you jump aboard. It's predicted that downloads of mobile apps will double from 2.5 billion last year to 4.5 billion this year and jump to 21.6 billion in 2013! So if this list doesn't apply to your now, come back when you join the app world. Of course, there will probably be thousands of new, improved apps to choose from by then!

Note: Mention of specific weight loss programs/tools does not imply endorsement by The Cooper Institute.