June 2016
When it comes to managing
and losing weight, the main idea
behind self-monitoring devices is
this: Knowing how many calories
you consume and burn each day
makes losing weight easier. Alarms
tell you when you exceed caloric
intake against the amount of calories burned through various types
of exercise you perform during the
day. You can set a daily target of the
amount of calories you want to burn.
Knowing your overall daily
caloric intake and expenditure
seems to be useful information to
have when self-monitoring weight
management. The value of FitBit and
similar devices for weight loss will
be a direct function of how much
they help each person using them
and how compliant the person is
with accurately measuring calories
expended against calories consumed
over time. Food diaries can be very
useful for weight loss because they
show you how many calories are in
the food you’re eating so you can be
sure not to overeat.
Encouraging people to maintain
healthy habits is a challenge that predates this technology. Researchers
Munson and Consolvo (2015),
This smart
technology
is bringing
a new
dimension
to wellness.
studying how technology can motivate people with weight management
and fitness, suggest some wearabledevice features may play a key role in
maintaining motivation. Reasonable
goal-setting is the critical factor to
ensure engagement and compliance.
Subjects who received reminders to
exercise reported being more likely
to follow through, but the reminders
had to be specific to the individual’s
goals. Receiving virtual rewards such
as ribbons and badges was not found
to be motivating, as some thought
they were “gimmicky.” Interestingly,
subjects were hesitant to share their
exercise reports via social media due
to embarrassment or fear of posts
from people reacting to their exercise goals.
Fitness trackers should be seen
as aids that allow you to be aware of
your progress in the form of shortterm goals, such as the miles or
amount of time devoted to walking
per day, before you reach for some
longer, more difficult goals, such
as weight management, which is
more complex because of individual
differences. This smart technology is bringing a new dimension to
wellness, but the individual is still
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responsible for maintaining good
health. Wearable devices will not
do that for you, but they will help
you measure the progress you make
with regard to weight management,
healthy exercise and rest.
Sources and Resources
Munson, S.A. and Convolve, S. (2015).
Exploring goal-setting, rewards, selfmonitoring, and sharing to motivate
physical activity. Berkley Science
Review 5-8, 161-168.
Wang, J.B. et al (2015). A Wearable
Sensor (Fitbit One) to Increase Physical
Activity in Overweight and Obese
Adults. Telemedicine and E-Health, 21,
10, 781-87.
About the Author
Thomas W. Miller, Ph.D., ABPP, is
a professor emeritus and senior
research scientist, Center for Health,
Intervention and Prevention, University
of Connecticut; retired service chief
from the VA Medical Center; and
tenured professor in the Department
of Psychiatry, College of Medicine,
University of Kentucky.