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We have reported often on the role of integrating technology into workplace wellness programs (for example here, here, and here).

One prevalent area of interest always is fitness trackers. Now a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association titled “Effect of Wearable Technology Combined With a Lifestyle Intervention on Long-term Weight Loss” tests “the hypothesis that, compared with a standard behavioral weight loss intervention (standard intervention), a technology-enhanced weight loss intervention (enhanced intervention) would result in greater weight loss.”

Its conclusion: “Among young adults with a BMI between 25 and less than 40, the addition of a wearable technology device to a standard behavioral intervention resulted in less weight loss over 24 months. Devices that monitor and provide feedback on physical activity may not offer an advantage over standard behavioral weight loss approaches.”

MedPage Today reports “Fitness Trackers Flop for Long-Term Weight Loss — Patients not using devices lost more weight after 2 years.”

The post states: “Use of wearable devices tracking physical activity failed to boost weight loss over and above standard interventions in a 2-year randomized trial, researchers said.”

“In the IDEA (Innovative Approaches to Diet, Exercise and Activity) study, which assigned overweight and obese adults to interventions with and without fitness trackers, both treatment arms lost weight, but the loss was greatest in the standard intervention group after 24 months (5.9 kg versus 3.5 kg with fitness tracker use, P=0.003), according to John M. Jakicic, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues.”

MedPage spoke with Jakicic: “Jakicic told MedPage Today that his group expected a different outcome. ‘We originally hypothesized that the technology would enhance weight loss at 24 months in our study. So, to find that it actually reduced weight loss success across 24 months was a bit surprising,' he said.”

“‘However, these findings are very important because they suggest that, just because in theory these technologies should help with health behavior change and improve health outcomes, this may not be the case for every person and under all conditions.'”

MedPage notes that other researchers were “not ready to give up on fitness trackers as a weight-loss aid.” Further, “Jakicic, too, emphasized that the study didn't prove that the devices are useless. ‘We should not send the message that these wearable technologies do not help with weight loss – there were some in our study for whom it made a difference,' he said.”