Fitness trackers don’t help lose weight
A two-year research have concluded that fitness trackers and other fitness-based wearables technology don’t actually help people lose weight.
A team from the University of Pittsburgh studied 471 overweight participants ranging from 18 to 35 years, the average weight was 210 pounds.
It was found that these gadgets weren’t any better than a ‘behavioural weight loss program’ like a diet.
In fact, when the fitness trackers were used, added into the equation, the participants actually lost less weight than when they were not using it.
“While usage of wearable devices is currently a popular method to track physical activity (steps taken per day or calories burned during a workout) our findings show that adding them to behavioral counseling weight loss that includes physical activity and reduced calorie intake does not improve weight loss or physical activity engagement,” lead researcher John Jakicic told the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), where the study was published.
“Therefore, within this context, these devices should not be relied upon as tools for weight management in place of effective behavioral counseling for physical activity and diet.”
For the first six months, all the participants were given a diet and an exercise routine and were told to record their progress the old-fashioned way: writing it down. They also attended meet-up sessions each week to stay committed.
Each of the participants lost weight following this method.
Next, they were split into two groups with one half given a fitness tracker and the other half told to record their progress on a website.
By the end of the study, everyone taking part had put back on some of the weight they had lost. But in total, those without the trackers had lost about 13 pounds while those with them had only lost about eight.
“I think we have to be a little bit cautious about simply thinking that what we can do is just add technology to these already effective interventions and expect better results,” Jakicic said.
The results seem to contradict recent short-term studies that suggest fitness trackers help keep people motivated to lose weight.
Either way, many technology companies are throwing money at wearable technology and fitness in particular.
