"Selfie" photos that are being used in a new app to shed virtual weight are raising concerns about health and body-image issues, Reuters reported.

SkinneePix is an app that helps users trim down five to 15 pounds (2-6 kg) of virtual fat for a slimmer selfie look. It is designed to help shed virtual weight in order for a person's face to appear skinner in pictures.

"Cameras add additional weight to photos and when you're taking a selfie you're also dealing with bad lighting, angles, close-ups and a lot of other factors that make people complain that the photo isn't an accurate representation of themselves," said Susan Green, co-founder of the Phoenix-based company Pretty Smart Women that created the app.

Although the app, which only works on single head shots, was originally meant to help overweight adults project a leaner version of themselves, it has also motivated people to lose weight, Robin J Phillips, the other co-founder, said.

"It's a good reminder to get off the couch, turn the TV off, and go for a walk," she said.

However, skeptics believe that the app could motivate an unhealthy body image, Reuters reported.

It could also encourage young adults to develop an eating disorder, Lauren Dickson, a social worker in the eating disorders and addiction clinic at the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, said.

"The media obviously has some effect on people developing eating disorders, but it's not the only variable. It's one of many factors," she said in an interview.

"The majority of young girls wouldn't develop an eating disorder because of an app like this, but some might be more vulnerable and it could contribute," Dickson added.

With the maximum limit being 15 pounds, the virtual weight loss is only focused on the face and not the entire body, Green said.

"We definitely understand that people can have body image problems and we're not trying to contribute to that in any way," she said.

"I think if someone who is very thin uses it and goes straight for 15 (pounds), then that's probably not the best thing, but they could also do that in Photoshop," Green added.