Don’t expect fitness trackers or smartwatches to help you lose weight
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.
Devices cost between 200 and 2000 RMB. Plus, you have to c…
The IDEA trial involved 471 overweight or obese adults and lasted 24 months. All participants followed identic…
Devices cost between 200 and 2000 RMB. Plus, you have to constantly pay attention to the data they display every day.
The IDEA trial involved 471 overweight or obese adults and lasted 24 months. All participants followed identical diet and exercise regimens; the only difference was whether they wore wearable devices. Those wearing devices lost 3.5 kilograms (95% CI 2.6–4.5). The other group lost 5.9 kilograms (95% CI 5.0–6.8), a difference of 2.4 kilograms (95% CI 1.0–3.7; P=0.002). The devices seem cost-effective only because the idea that “quantification enables management” sounds logical, and they only require a one-time purchase.
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. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.12858
Open source linkThis is based on just one trial using early 2010s arm-worn devices, so we cannot claim that “all wearable devices are useless.” Exercise itself remains effective, as discussed in Section 2. This point simply emphasizes that buying such devices is not a necessary expense if your goal is weight loss.