Fitness and nutrition startup MyFitnessPal has released versions of its international apps in China, Korea and Japan.
The company launched its first international apps in June of 2013, according to TechCrunch. The company said it has over 50 million registered users.
Mike Lee, co-founder of MyFitnessPal, said the expansion brings the number of languages for the app to 14.
"We will be adding additional languages, but we've really handled the core set," Lee said. He said the company's focus will be on "continuing to execute and grow the user base."
MyFitnessPal not only has the ability to track food intake, but it will also use a feature called Steps, which tracks fitness activity, Forbes reported. Steps will sync with data that comes from Fitbit, Jawbone Up and other wearable devices, and track steps through the iPhone 5S. The app also uses the phone's M7 chip to track activity, since the chip has enough power to consistently log the user's movements without draining the phone's battery.
Lee said he is looking to make the app's ability to track fitness work with other smartphones as well.
Lee added that while MyFtinessPal has an audience in China, it is one that is "not nearly as large as we'd like." When the app is launched in a certain area, not only does it translate into the colloquial language, local units of measurement are used. Data about food nearby can also be accessed, TechCrunch reported.
The co-founder also stated that he sees the expansion as a chance to help cultural dilemmas in different countries. He said, for example, that while the obesity rates in Korea, Japan and China are different, "The trend lines are all in the wrong direction." The app can assist with this issue, using its ability to track the calories consumed and letting users share the data with friends.
"We've found that when you deliver a great product and something that helps people actually be healthier, then they'll talk about it, and that's how we've grown since day one," Lee said about his plans to market MyFitnessPal in new countries.
