App · Medium risk
Is MyFitnessPal safe for your child?
Age guide
13+
We advise MyFitnessPal from age 13 and up. Overall risk 4/10 (medium risk).
- 5-8
- MyFitnessPal is not designed for this age group; its focus on detailed calorie tracking and body metrics can be inappropriate for young children.
- 9-12
- This age group should avoid MyFitnessPal as the app's emphasis on diet and exercise tracking may contribute to an unhealthy relationship with food and body image during critical developmental years.
- 13-15
- Teenagers in this age range using MyFitnessPal should be closely monitored to ensure they are using it for general health awareness rather than restrictive dieting or obsessive tracking of macronutrients.
- 16+
- Older teens might use MyFitnessPal responsibly for general fitness goals, but parents should still discuss the potential for comparison with others' fitness journeys in the community features and the importance of a balanced approach to health.
MyFitnessPal is a calorie counter and diet tracker app that helps users log their food intake and exercise. It provides a vast food database and tools to monitor nutritional goals.
- Age guide
- 13+
- Overall risk
- 4/10
- Violence
- 1/10
- Toxic behaviour
- 4/10
- Stranger contact
- 3/10
- Addiction risk
- 6/10
- Language
- 2/10
- Influence
- 6/10
What parents should know
MyFitnessPal is an app designed for adults to track diet and exercise, and its features can be detrimental for children and young teenagers. The detailed calorie counting and community features may encourage an unhealthy focus on body image and restrictive eating habits. Parents should ensure accurate age settings and discuss responsible use if an older teen chooses to engage with the platform.
What to do about MyFitnessPal
Free with a Parentwise account. The age-by-age verdict needs your child's age, which is why it lives behind the account.
- The age-by-age verdict
What we advise for under 8, 8-12 and 13+ - our age guide for MyFitnessPal is 13+, and the answer changes with your child's age. - The one setting to change tonight
The exact MyFitnessPal setting that cuts the most risk, with the steps to find it. - What to say
Word-for-word openers for talking about MyFitnessPal without a row. - Red flags to watch for
The signals in MyFitnessPal that mean it is time to step in.
MyFitnessPal age rating and parents guide: common questions
What age rating is MyFitnessPal?
Parentwise puts MyFitnessPal at 13+. We advise MyFitnessPal from age 13 and up. Overall risk 4/10 (medium risk). Violence scores 1/10, language 2/10, stranger contact 3/10 and addiction risk 6/10.
Can a 10 year old use MyFitnessPal?
Not by default: we advise MyFitnessPal from 13+, so at 10 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. This age group should avoid MyFitnessPal as the app's emphasis on diet and exercise tracking may contribute to an unhealthy relationship with food and body image during critical developmental years.
Can a 12 year old use MyFitnessPal?
Not by default: we advise MyFitnessPal from 13+, so at 12 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. This age group should avoid MyFitnessPal as the app's emphasis on diet and exercise tracking may contribute to an unhealthy relationship with food and body image during critical developmental years.
Can a 13 year old use MyFitnessPal?
Yes, 13 is at or above the age we advise for MyFitnessPal (13+). Teenagers in this age range using MyFitnessPal should be closely monitored to ensure they are using it for general health awareness rather than restrictive dieting or obsessive tracking of macronutrients.
Is MyFitnessPal appropriate for kids?
MyFitnessPal is an app designed for adults to track diet and exercise, and its features can be detrimental for children and young teenagers. Parentwise rates MyFitnessPal overall as medium risk (4/10), with stranger contact at 3/10 and addiction risk at 6/10.
Is MyFitnessPal family friendly?
MyFitnessPal sits in the middle: fine with settings changed and an occasional check-in. The detailed calorie counting and community features may encourage an unhealthy focus on body image and restrictive eating habits.
MyFitnessPal parents guide: what should a parent know first?
MyFitnessPal is an app designed for adults to track diet and exercise, and its features can be detrimental for children and young teenagers. The parts that most often catch parents out are stranger contact (3/10) and how hard it pulls for more time (6/10).
Is MyFitnessPal safe for kids?
We advise MyFitnessPal from age 13 and up. Overall risk 4/10 (medium risk). The detailed calorie counting and community features may encourage an unhealthy focus on body image and restrictive eating habits.
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Release and popularity data comes in part from RAWG, TVMaze (CC BY-SA) and Wikidata (CC0). Safety guidance is written by Parentwise.