Don’t expect fitness trackers to help you lose weight
Grade BMedium benefitMoneyFreeLittle timeNo willpower
Overweight people on the same diet and exercise plan lost 3.5 kg in two years if they wore a fitness band, while those without one lost 5.9 kg. To lose weight, the device is not money you have to spend.
- Cost
- Devices cost between 200 and 2,000 RMB. Plus, you have to constantly check those numbers every day.
- Benefit
- The IDEA trial involved 471 overweight or obese adults and followed them for 24 months. Everyone followed identical diet and exercise routines; the only difference was whether they wore wearable devices. The group wearing trackers lost 3.5 kg (95% CI 2.6–4.5). The other group lost 5.9 kg (95% CI 5.0–6.8), a difference of 2.4 kg (95% CI 1.0–3.7, P=0.002). It seems cost-effective only because the idea “you must measure to manage” sounds logical, and the devices are a one-time purchase.
- Notes
- This is just one trial, using devices from the early 2010s worn on the arm; we can’t conclude that all wearable devices are useless. Exercise itself remains effective, as discussed in Section 2. The bottom line: buying fitness trackers isn’t necessary if you want to lose weight.
Sources · 1
- Jakicic JM et al. (2016). Effect of Wearable Technology Combined With a Lifestyle Intervention on Long-term Weight Loss: The IDEA Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.12858