There are literally thousands of technological devices out there in the market today that promise to help you shed the pounds without having to restrict your diet, exercising or even breaking a sweat. Basically, they promise you everything without costing anything. To test this out, a study was undertaken where standard weight loss techniques were compared with advanced weight loss technologies. The test was conducted over a period of two years and data was collected after every six month interval, and the primary hypothesis tested the change in weight between two groups at 24 months. Secondary outcomes included body composition, fitness, physical activity, and dietary intake.
For this experiment, which was conducted at the University of Pittsburgh between October 2010 and October 2012, 471 adult participants were chosen randomly, and were given a diet which had a low count of calories. They were also given the same kind of physical exercises, and were also made to join group therapy sessions. After the initial six months, they were allowed to use study materials from the internet, and they were also given telephone counseling sessions as well as text message prompts. One group was simply allowed to monitor their diets and physical activity levels all by themselves, while on the other hand, the other group members were given weight loss wearable devices, and over the course of time, their progress was monitored using the web.
At the end of the study, all the results were accumulated and studied, and it was seen that both the groups had significant weight loss. Out of the 471 adults selected, only 350 individuals completed the study during its entire 2-year period. For the second group, that is, the one with the technological aid to lose weight, the mean average weight was 96.3 kg (212.3 lbs) and after two years, the weight was 92.8 kg (204.6 lbs). On the other hand, for the first group, the initial mean average weight was 95.2 kg (209.9 lbs), while after the two years, the weight was 89.3 kg (196.9 lbs). Thus, it concluded that “weight loss” gadgets like heart rate monitor, wearable belts etc. don’t necessarily offer any extra advantages when it comes to shedding the extra pounds. The old way is the best way, it seems!
Reference:
Effect of Wearable Technology Combined With a Lifestyle Intervention on Long-term Weight Loss. http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2553448
Leave a Reply