Do smartphone apps help you lose weight?

Smartphone apps that promise to help you lose the extra kilos may not actually be doing so as most users leave them midway, new research says.

Researchers analysed the weight loss progress of 212 primary care patients in the US for six months.

The participants were overweight with a body mass index (BMI) over 25.

Half of the patients were given the MyFitnessPal smartphone app while the rest of the participants were asked to opt for any other method to lose weight.

After six months, the team found that participants who received the app did not lose more weight than those who did not receive the app.

While most users reported high satisfaction with the app, usage also dropped drastically in the first two months, Foxnews.com reported.

"While there are several health apps available now, we actually do not know if they work," the researchers said.

The paper appeared in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.