FitBits do NOT lead to weight loss: Study finds little evidence that your wearable is much more than a fancy bracelet
- Researchers at the University of Florida analyzed 6 studies on 1,615 people
- They found no users had any meaningful drop in cholesterol or blood pressure
- Only one cohort recorded noteworthy weight loss
Don’t bother investing in an Apple Watch if it’s just to lose weight, according to new research.
Tracking your steps, blood pressure and cholesterol might motivate you, and give you an insight into your general wellbeing.
But researchers at the University of Florida found FitBits and other fitness wearables rarely lead to actual weight loss.
In an analysis of six studies on 1,615 people, the team found no users had any meaningful drop in cholesterol or blood pressure, and only one cohort recorded weight loss.
Researchers at the University of Florida found FitBits and other fitness wearables rarely lead to actual weight loss
‘The weight loss findings are pretty surprising,’ Dr Jo, assistant professor in the school of Health Services Research, told TODAY.
‘I thought that wearable devices would definitely help to lose weight, at some point, because they make people move, but apparently not.’
‘They can motivate people to avoid a sedentary lifestyle, but that does not change people’s lifestyle to be [adequately] active,’ she added.
The findings come just weeks after another study called into question the famous 10,000-steps-a-day goal.
A Brigham and Women’s Hospital study of 16,000 elderly women found they were more likely to survive five years if they walked over 4,000 steps a day than those who only clocked 2,700 a day.
And to a certain extent, more steps were more protective, but not after 7,500 steps.
The lead author Dr I-Min Lee said that should not drive people to exercise less, but that you should not feel totally deflated if you fall short sometimes.
