Fitness Trackers won't help you lose weight

Julia Korowski, XX2 CENTURY, based on the materials of the University of Pittsburgh: Activity Trackers Are Ineffective at Sustaining Weight Loss

Fitness trackers do not help to lose weight – this is the conclusion reached by scientists from the University of Pittsburgh, Bastyr University and Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. The results of a randomized clinical trial are published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (Jakicic et al., Effect of Wearable Technology Combined With a Lifestyle Intervention on Long-term Weight LossThe IDEA Randomized Clinical Trial).

People who, in addition to the standard weight loss program, used wearable devices, lost almost half as much weight as those who did without them: 3.5 kg versus 5.9 kg. The scientists concluded that fitness trackers "do not provide advantages over the standard behavioral approach to weight loss."

The two–year study involved 470 people (77% women) aged 18 to 35 years, at the beginning of the experiment, their body mass index was 25-39 points. All participants followed a diet, maintained the necessary level of physical activity, attended group consultations and communicated with specialists by phone. After 6 months, they were divided into two subgroups: the participants of the first monitored nutrition and exercise independently and kept a diary on a special website, the participants of the second were given BodyMedia Fit Core fitness trackers. This device is mounted on the shoulder and displays data on physical activity and energy consumption on the screen.

After 18 months, people in both groups ate healthier and moved more. However, those who monitored their health on their own lost almost twice as much weight. "We still have questions about the effectiveness of wearable devices," says John Jakicic, lead author of the study. "It is not yet clear how best to use them to correct physical activity and nutrition while losing weight."

But it's too early to throw out your favorite Fitbit, NikeFuel and Jawbone: scientists do not make far-reaching conclusions. They note that the study concerned young people, and the results do not apply to other age groups. In addition, participants used fitness trackers that were attached to the shoulder - perhaps they are not as convenient and effective as fashionable devices worn on the wrist.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  21.09.2016