Fitness trackers are marketed as a way to increase your activity, but it turns out they may not help users keep weight off in the long term. A new study finds that among overweight and obese adults who have lost weight, those using a fitness tracker gained back more weight than those without.
Why it matters:
The makers of fitness trackers tout the gadgets as weight-loss aids — for instance, Fitbit has partnerships with Weight Watchers and Medifast to add the wristbands to their diet regimens. But do they work? John Jakicic at the University of Pittsburgh has done previous research showing that wearable fitness devices could be just as beneficial as in-person fitness counseling — but they were all short-term studies of around six months. He wanted to know: If you added wearable technology after people lose weight initially, could it help them continue their progress?
