Nutrition apps can help build healthy habits. For some users, their gaming features carry risks营养类应用有助于养成健康习惯。但对部分用户而言，其游戏化功能暗藏隐患Many nutrition-tracking apps like MyFitnessPal and Noom use gaming features to keep users coming back. But as nutrition apps proliferate, some researchers are raising alarms that gamification features may do more harm than good for some people.许多营养追踪类软件，比如 MyFitnessPal 和 Noom，利用游戏化功能留住用户。但随着这类软件大量涌现，一些研究者发出警告：游戏化功能对部分人群可能弊大于利。Isabella Anderberg, a psychologist researching digital dieting behavior at Flinders University in Australia, said calorie tracking can reinforce behaviors associated with body dysmorphia and disordered eating.伊莎贝拉·安德伯格是澳大利亚弗林德斯大学研究数字化节食行为的心理学家，她表示，卡路里追踪可能会加重与躯体变形障碍和饮食失调相关的不良行为。Anderberg said there is certainly a place for the apps. Health professionals she interviewed during her research reported that apps can be especially helpful as meal-planning tools for people managing chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.安德伯格表示，这类应用确实有其用武之地。她在研究中采访的医护专业人员反映，对于管理心脏病和糖尿病等慢性疾病的人群来说，这类软件是规划饮食的实用工具。
Be wary of what the app tells you
谨慎看待软件给出的建议
The way most apps work, users enter height, weight, age and other information and then set a goal. The app says how many calories or macronutrients are needed to reach that goal, using gamelike elements such as badges, streaks, rewards, points and notifications to encourage user engagement.大多数应用的运作方式是：用户输入身高、体重、年龄等信息，然后设定一个目标。应用会告诉你达到该目标需要多少卡路里或常量营养素，并利用徽章、连续打卡、奖励、积分和通知等类游戏元素来提高用户的参与度。Courtney Simpson, a behavioral psychologist and director of eating disorders at the Evidence-Based Treatment Centers of Seattle, said some apps encourage people to set calorie goals that are far too low for any adult.西雅图实证治疗中心进食障碍科室负责人、行为心理学家考特妮·辛普森指出，一些应用鼓励人们设定远低于任何成年人所需的卡路里目标。The gaming features keep people coming back to unrealistic goals, creating shame that may contribute to binge eating or other behaviors people are trying to change, Simpson said.辛普森表示，游戏化功能让人执着于那些不切实际的目标上，由此产生的羞耻感可能促发暴饮暴食，或加剧人们正试图改变的其他行为。
Listen to your body
倾听身体的声音
Anderberg said people who already believe that thinner is better are more likely to misuse the apps. Calorie and macronutrient tracking can then become obsessional, which creates more negative feelings when daily goals aren't met.安德伯格表示，本就认为“越瘦越好”的人更容易滥用这类应用。刻意记录卡路里和常量营养素可能因此变成一种执念，当每日目标未能完成时，便会产生更多负面情绪。She urged users to be skeptical of what the apps tell them to do and instead rely on their own intuition.她呼吁用户不要盲目听从软件的指引，转而遵从自身的本能感受。
重点词汇
1.proliferate /prəˈlɪf.ə.reɪt/ v. 激增，大量涌现例句：Small businesses have proliferated in the last ten years.2.raise the alarm 发出警告，敲响警钟近义短语：sound the alarm例句：Scientists have raised the alarm that rising ocean temperatures pose a severe threat to coral reefs worldwide.3.gamification /ˌɡeɪməfəˈkeɪʃən/ n. 游戏化相关词汇：game（n. 游戏）词根词缀：-ify（使......化）例句：Companies are increasingly using gamification in order to train their employees.4.do more harm than good 弊大于利例句：Hasty legislation does more harm than good.5.reinforce /ˌriː.ɪnˈfɔːrs/ v. 强化，加深；巩固词根词缀：re-（表示“再次，重新”）词根词缀：in-（表示“进入，加强”）相关词汇：force（n. 力量）搭配短语：to reinforce concrete（加固混凝土）例句：His behaviour merely reinforced my prejudice against him.6.dysmorphia /dɪsˈmɔːr.fi.ə/ n.（身体部位的）畸形, 变形词根词缀：dys-（表示“坏的，困难的”）相关词汇：dysfunction（n. 功能障碍，机能不良）词根词缀：-morph （表示“形状，形态”）词根词缀：-ia（表示“......病”）文化补充：body dysmorphia 又叫做 body dysmorphic disorder，翻译为“躯体变形障碍”或“体象障碍”——患者会过度关注自己外表上实际不存在或极其微小的“缺陷”。7.disordered /dɪsˈɔrdərd/ adj.（身心）失调的，错乱的相关词汇：order（n. 秩序）相关词汇：disorder（n. 混乱，失调）搭配短语：emotionally disordered children（有情绪障碍的孩子）8.chronic /ˈkrɑː.nɪk/ adj. 慢性的，长期的反义词：acute（adj. 急性的，突发的）搭配短语：acute pain（剧烈的突发疼痛）搭配短语：chronic pain（长期的持续疼痛）搭配短语：chronic conditions = chronic diseases（慢性疾病）9.wary /ˈwer.i/ adj. 谨慎的，警惕的近义词：cautious搭配短语：be wary of sb. / sth.（警惕某人或某事）例句：We must teach children to be wary of strangers.10.macronutrients /ˌmæ.kroʊˈnuː.tri.ənt/ n. 常量营养素词根词缀：macro-（表示“宏观的，大规模的”）相关词汇：nutrient（n. 营养素）11.engagement /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ.mənt/ n. 参与，互动；预约，约会相关词汇：engage（v. 参加，参与）搭配短语：to engage in regular exercise（定期参加锻炼）12.contribute to 促成，导致相关词汇：contribute（v. 贡献，捐献）英文释义：to help to cause something to happen近义短语：lead to, result in, bring about例句：Stress can contribute to a variety of health problems.13.binge /bɪndʒ/ n. 暴食，无节制的狂热行为词性拓展：binge（v. 狂吃，无节制地吃）搭配短语：a spending binge（疯狂花钱）搭配短语：binge drinking（酗酒）14.obsessional /əbˈseʃ.ən.əl/ adj. 着迷的，执念深的相关词汇：obsess（v. 困扰，使痴迷）相关词汇：obsession（n. 着迷，执念）例句：His obsession with fishing is quite recent.搭配短语：obsessional behaviour（偏执行为）15.skeptical /ˈskep.tɪ.kəl/ adj. 怀疑的，持怀疑态度的搭配短语：be skeptical of / about sth.（对某事持怀疑态度）例句：Many experts remain skeptical about his claims.
拓展阅读
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