Grounded in evidence. Honest about limits.
What the evidence shows
HealthApp is built on established public-health guidance and behaviour-change research. Here’s what informs each pillar — and what an app can and can’t do.
Important: HealthApp is a wellness and lifestyle tool, not a medical device. The information on this page is general and educational — it is not medical advice, and it doesn’t diagnose or treat any condition. Individual needs vary; always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your activity, diet, sleep, or treatment.
Aim for 150–300 minutes of activity a week, plus strength work twice.
The World Health Organization recommends that adults do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week (or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity), along with muscle-strengthening on two or more days. HealthApp helps you log workouts and steps so you can see where you stand against this guidance — it doesn’t set targets for you.
Source: WHO — Physical activity guidelines (2020) ↗ [1]More plants, fewer free sugars, less salt.
WHO guidance points to at least 400 g (about five portions) of fruit and vegetables a day, keeping free sugars under 10% of energy, salt under 5 g, and limiting saturated fat. HealthApp’s food logging is there to build awareness of what you eat — it doesn’t prescribe a diet or make medical recommendations.
Source: WHO — Healthy diet fact sheet ↗ [2]Most adults do best with seven or more hours.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that adults sleep seven or more hours per night on a regular basis for optimal health, noting that individual needs vary. HealthApp helps you log your nights and build a consistent wind-down routine.
Source: AASM & SRS — Joint consensus on sleep duration (2015) ↗ [3]Mindful, calming practices can help — within limits.
According to the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, mindfulness and relaxation practices may help reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety and support sleep, though the strength of evidence varies. HealthApp offers breathing exercises, mood check-ins, and calming sound as supportive tools — not as treatment for any condition.
Source: NCCIH (NIH) — Meditation and mindfulness ↗ [4]Habits form gradually — and an off day won’t undo them.
In a widely cited study, new habits took an average of about 66 days to feel automatic (with wide variation between people), and crucially, missing a single day didn’t materially affect the process. That’s exactly why HealthApp’s streaks are gentle and forgiving — built to reward showing up, not punish a missed day.
Source: Lally et al. (2010), European Journal of Social Psychology ↗ [5]Keeping a record is the part that does the work.
A systematic review of the weight-loss literature found self-monitoring — writing down what you eat, how you move and what you weigh — consistently associated with better results. Two limits worth stating: it is one review rather than a body of them, and its subject is weight loss, not sleep and not behaviour in general. HealthApp is built around low-friction logging because that is where the evidence is clearest — not because tracking fixes everything.
Source: Burke, Wang & Sevick (2011), J. Am. Diet. Assoc. ↗ [6]What an app can’t do
- It can’t diagnose, treat, or replace care from a qualified professional.
- AI estimates (like food scanning) are approximate, not exact measurements.
- General public-health guidance isn’t personalised medical advice — your needs may differ.
- Tracking supports change; it doesn’t guarantee any particular health outcome.
References
- World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour / Physical activity fact sheet. 2020–2024.
- World Health Organization. Healthy diet (fact sheet). 2020–2024.
- Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, et al. Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Sleep. 2015;38(6):843–844.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Meditation and Mindfulness: Effectiveness and Safety.
- Lally P, van Jaarsveld CHM, Potts HWW, Wardle J. How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology. 2010;40(6):998–1009.
- Burke LE, Wang J, Sevick MA. Self-monitoring in weight loss: a systematic review of the literature. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2011;111(1):92–102.
Small, consistent steps — backed by the basics.
Free to start · iPhone and Apple Watch