Are you one of the millions who wears a fitness tracker? This technology has become so mainstream, even high-fashion and well-known designers are joining the craze and creating custom devices and stylish accessories to personalize them. Is this just another fad or do wearables actually deliver?

Not a Silver Bullet
A fitness tracker may help you lose weight but not necessarily more than if you didn’t wear it, according to a 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The research centered around wearables and weight loss showed a surprising trend: Those logging their meals and exercise on a website lost more weight than the individuals wearing tracking devices.

Fitness-tracking devices monitor and report data, but they can backfire without a human layer to meaningfully interpret that information. Plus, our brains can justify overindulgence or otherwise counterproductive behavior when we’re able to review our progress in real time.

Consider the Right Metrics
Corporations and businesses have been integrating wearable technology stats into wellness programs to improve the health and productivity of the workforce. But wearables track a great deal of data, which can be troubling for those who value their security and privacy. And it’s important to consider the information in a careful context given that fitness technology can still include incomplete or faulty data.

Remember, wearable tech trackers are still in their infancy, but professional athletes and those involved with innovating this technology see a lot of hope on the horizon. And consumers can reap some of the benefits as these companies present personal health metrics in a more personalized, human-centric and psychologically optimized fashion.