U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin has awarded four winners of the Healthy App Challenge for mobile health tools that are easy and fun to use to encourage healthy behaviors, especially for individuals who may not be tech savvy.

The technology tools promote the surgeon general’s vision for a healthy and fit nation through physical activity, nutrition and integrative health. The apps are also aimed at individuals who may live in communities that are hard to reach or underserved by healthcare providers.

Readily accessible tools like social media and mobile apps can help people manage everything from dietary choices to physical activity, stress management and relaxation techniques, she said.

“The winning apps will help many Americans to have fun while getting fit and healthy. I’m excited to learn to use these apps and to discover how they will help me meet my health goals,” Benjamin said in a Feb. 17 announcement. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology co-sponsored the challenge.

The winning applications are:

• Lose It! sets daily calorie budgets that require users to record their food intake and physical activity and lets users invite their friends to view their logs on Facebook
• GoodGuide has a bar code scanner to scan food and personal care products while they shop to get information so they can make healthy choices
• Fooducate has product bar code scanner to get a quick read on the nutritional values, nutrients and additives that a food item contains; the app can offer healthier alternatives and compare two products side-by-side
• Healthy Habits recognizes the importance of addressing health issues such as smoking, wearing sunscreen, and reducing stress by tracking the user’s success and goals.

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The apps fulfilled a range of criteria including innovativeness, usability, the ability to generate and download personal data, and whether they made the health-promoting activity fun. They also are available for free.

Benjamin also recommended two other apps for fitness/physical activity: Fit Friendzy and MapMyFitness, and two apps for children (and adults who are young at heart): Max’s Plate and Short Sequence: Kids’ Yoga Journey.