  Past research has shown the benefits of food journaling in promoting mindful
eating and healthier food choices. However, the links between journaling and
healthy eating have not been thoroughly examined. Beyond caloric restriction,
do journalers consistently and sufficiently consume healthful diets? How
different are their eating habits compared to those of average consumers who
tend to be less conscious about health? In this study, we analyze the healthy
eating behaviors of active food journalers using data from MyFitnessPal.
Surprisingly, our findings show that food journalers do not eat as healthily as
they should despite their proclivity to health eating and their food choices
resemble those of the general populace. Furthermore, we find that the
journaling duration is only a marginal determinant of healthy eating outcomes
and sociodemographic factors, such as gender and regions of residence, are much
more predictive of healthy food choices.
