Key Takeaways
Fitness apps might be undermining people’s attempts to become healthier
Users expressed shame, disappointment, frustration and futility about the apps
User-driven goals set by the apps might be unrealistic and demoralizing
kAmu#xsp*[ ~4E] ac[ a_ad Ww62=E9s2J }6HDX — u:E?6DD 2?5 42=@C:6 4@F?E:?8 2AAD 2C6 >62?E E@ 3@@DE A6@A=6’D DA:C:ED[ 96=A:?8 E96> 364@>6 962=E9:6C 3J EC24<:?8 E96:C AC@8C6DD]k^Am
kAmqFE >2?J 7:?5 E96> E@ 36 2 4@>A=6E6 5@H?6C 2?5 2? FEE6C 56EC:>6?E[ 2 ?6H DEF5J D2JD]k^Am
kAm$@>6 6IA6C:6?46 2 D6?D6 @7 D92>6[ 5:D2AA@:?E>6?E[ 7CFDEC2E:@? 2?5 7FE:=:EJ H96? FD:?8 E96D6 2AAD[ F?56C>:?:?8 E96:C 2EE6>AED E@ :>AC@G6 E96:C 962=E9[ C6D62C496CD C6A@CE65 ~4E] aa :? E96 k6>mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^3ADADJ49F3]@?=:?6=:3C2CJ]H:=6J]4@>^5@:^`_]````^3;9A]f__aeQmqC:E:D9 y@FC?2= @7 w62=E9 !DJ49@=@8Jk^2mk^6>m]k^Am
kAm“(6 7@F?5 2 =@E @7 3=2>6 2?5 D92>6[ H:E9 A6@A=6 766=:?8 E96J H6C6 ?@E 5@:?8 2D H6== 2D E96J D9@F=5 36[” D6?:@C C6D62C496C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^AC@7:=6D]F4=]24]F<^bhfeg\A2F=:?2\3@?52C@?6<Qm!2F=:?2 q@?52C@?6<k^2m[ 2 D6?:@C C6D62C49 76==@H 2E &?:G6CD:EJ r@==686 {@?5@?[ D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6] “%96D6 6>@E:@?2= 67764ED >2J 6?5 FA 92C>:?8 A6@A=6’D >@E:G2E:@? 2?5 E96:C 962=E9]”k^Am
kAmu@C E96 DEF5J[ C6D62C496CD 2?2=JK65 ?62C=J `c[___ A@DED 23@FE 7:G6 A@AF=2C 7:E?6DD 2AAD @? E96 D@4:2= >65:2 D:E6 %H:EE6C[ AC:@C E@ :ED C63C2?5:?8 2D )]k^Am
kAm%96 2AAD H6C6 |Ju:E?6DD!2=[ $EC2G2[ (([ (@C<@FED 3J |FD4=6 q@@DE6C[ u:E?6DD r@249 U2>Aj s:6E[ 2?5 u:Er@249] |@DE @7 E96 A@DED W?62C=J g[d__X C6=2E65 E@ |Ju:E?6DD!2=[ 7@==@H65 3J $EC2G2 2?5 (( W7@C>6C=J (6:89E (2E496CDX]k^Am
kAm#6DF=ED D9@H65 E92E E96 2AAD @7E6? AC@5F465 2D >F49 7CFDEC2E:@? 2D >@E:G2E:@?] &D6CD 6IAC6DD65ik^Am
kF=mk=:mkAm$92>6 2E 92G:?8 E@ =@8 “F?962=E9J” 7@@5D]k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAmxCC:E2E:@? 2E ?@E:7:42E:@?D E@ =@8 42=@C:6D @C C65F46 DF82C 4@?DF>AE:@?]k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAms:D2AA@:?E>6?E 2E D=@H AC@8C6DD E@H2C5 E2C86ED D6E 3J E96 2AAD]k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm$<6AE:4:D> 2E DEC:4E 8@2=D D6E 3J 2AAD]k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAmp??@J2?46 2E 3F8D E92E <6AE A9JD:42= 24E:G:EJ 7C@> 36:?8 AC@A6C=J EC24<65]k^Amk^=:mk^F=m
kAm“(96? H6 D6?5 3692G:@C 492?86 E@@=D @FE :?E@ E96 H@C=5[ :E’D D@ :>A@CE2?E E92E H6 4964< :7 E96J 92G6 2?J F?:?E6?565 4@?D6BF6?46D[” D2:5 C6D62C496C {k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^AC@7:=6D]F4=]24]F<^hch_e\=F4J\A@CE6CQmF4J !@CE6Ck^2m[ 2 D6?:@C C6D62C49 76==@H 2E &?:G6CD:EJ r@==686 {@?5@?]k^Am
kAm“{:DE6?:?8 E@ FD6CD’ C6A@CED @? D@4:2= >65:2 92D D9@H? E92E 7:E?6DD 2AAD 42? D@>6E:>6D =62G6 FD6CD 766=:?8 56>@C2=:K65 2?5 C625J E@ 8:G6 FA — H9:49 :D E96 6I24E @AA@D:E6 @7 H92E E96D6 E@@=D 2C6 DFAA@D65 E@ 5@P” !@CE6C D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6]k^Am
kAm$@>6 6I2>A=6Dik^Am
kAm“x ;FDE 8@E 2 ?@E:7:42E:@? 7C@> >J 7:E?6DD A2= C6>:?5:?8 >6 E@ =@8 >J 5:??6C 7@C E@52J 3FE x 5@?VE H2?E E@ 34 xV> 2D92>65 x ;FDE 2E6 5@>:?@D[” @?6 FD6C A@DE65 @? %H:EE6C]k^Am
kAm“w@H 5:D2AA@:?E:?8 :D :E H96? J@F D>2D9 8J> 2?5 |Ju:E?6DD!2= 7@C 2 52J 2?5 E96C6D ?@ 5:776C6?46[” 2?@E96C HC@E6]k^Am
kAm“x ;FDE A=F8865 :? >J =F?49 62ED :?E@ |J u:E?6DD !2=…22222???555 xV== 36 8@:?8 E@ E96 8J> =2E6C] p=D@[ >J 92?8CJ 2DD 2E6 E@@ >F49] x 766= >:D6C23=J DEF7765[” 2 E9:C5 FD6C 4:E65]k^Am
kAmp== E96D6 6IA6C:6?46D 42? 42FD6 H6==\>62?:?8 A6@A=6 E@ E9C@H FA E96:C 92?5D 2?5 8:G6 FA @? E96:C 8@2=D[ C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96D6 C6DF=ED DF886DE E92E 7:E?6DD 2AAD H@F=5 5@ 36EE6C E@ 86E 2H2J 7C@> C:8:5 42=@C:6 2?5 6I6C4:D6 4@F?E:?8[ 2?5 7@4FD @? 2 >@C6 9@=:DE:4 2AAC@249 E@ H6==\36:?8[ C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
kAm“x?DE625 @7 G6CJ ?2CC@H[ C:8:5 >62DFC6D @7 DF446DD C6=2E:?8 E@ 2>@F?E @7 H6:89E =@DE[ 962=E9 2AAD D9@F=5 AC:@C:E:K6 @G6C2== H6==\36:?8 2?5 7@4FD @? :?EC:?D:4 >@E:G2E:@? – :]6][ E96 :?96C6?E 6?;@J>6?E @C D2E:D724E:@? :? 24E:G:E:6D[” q@?52C@?6< D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 2AAD 5:5 ?@E D6E 8@2=D 32D65 @? AF3=:4 962=E9 C64@>>6?52E:@?D[ C6D62C496CD ?@E65] x?DE625[ E96 2AAD H6C6 8F:565 3J FD6CD’ @H? H6:89E 8@2=D[ H9:49 4@F=5 =625 E@ F?C62=:DE:4 @C F?D276 C64@>>6?52E:@?D]k^Am
kAm“$6=7\>@?:E@C:?8 2?5 24E:@? A=2??:?8 2C6 A@H6C7F= 3692G:@C 492?86 E649?:BF6D[ 3FE H6 @G6C\FD6 E96>[” q@?52C@?6< D2:5] “(6 ?665 E@ =62C? E@ 36 <:?56C E@ @FCD6=G6D] (6 2C6 8@@5 2E 3=2>:?8 2?5 D92>:?8 3642FD6 H6 E9:?< :E H:== 96=A FD E@ 5@ 36EE6C 3FE 24EF2==J :E 92D E96 @AA@D:E6 67764E]”k^Am
kAm!@CE6C 28C665]k^Am
kAm“(6 <?@H 7C@> AC6G:@FD C6D62C49 E92E 766=:?8 2D92>65 2?5 >:D6C23=6 23@FE J@FCD6=7 :D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ DFAA@CE 962=E9J[ =@?8\E6C> 3692G:@C 492?86[” !@CE6C D2:5] Q(92E H6 ?665 E@ <?@H ?@H :D 9@H A6CG2D:G6 E96D6 67764ED @? >@C2=6 2?5 6>@E:@?2= H6==\36:?8 2C6[ 2?5 H96E96C E96C6 :D 2?JE9:?8 E92E 42? 36 5@?6 E@ 252AE 7:E?6DD 2AAD D@ E92E E96J 36EE6C >66E A6@A=6VD ?665D]”k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ q@?52C@?6< ?@E65 E92E E96 DEF5J @?=J 7@4FD65 @? ?682E:G6 A@DED[ “D@ H6 42??@E 2DD6DD E96 @G6C2== 67764E @7 E96D6 2AAD :? E6C>D @7 @FC H6==\36:?8] %96 2AAD >2J 92G6 2 ?682E:G6 D:56[ 3FE E96J =:<6=J 2=D@ AC@G:56 36?67:ED E@ >2?J A6@A=6]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmw2CG2C5 |65:42= $49@@= 92D >@C6 @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]962=E9]92CG2C5]65F^3=@8^>2<:?8\E96\>@DE\@7\A9JD:42=\24E:G:EJ\2AAD\a_a_`aa`a`eb`Qm>2<:?8 E96 >@DE @7 7:E?6DD 2AADk^2m]k^Am
kAm$~&#rt$i &?:G6CD:EJ r@==686 {@?5@?[ ?6HD C6=62D6[ ~4E] aa[ a_adj k6>mqC:E:D9 y@FC?2= @7 w62=E9 !DJ49@=@8Jk^6>m[ ~4E] aa[ a_adk^Am
k9amkDEC@?8m(92E %9:D |62?D u@C *@Fk^DEC@?8mk^9am
kAm!6@A=6 FD:?8 7:E?6DD @C 42=@C:6 4@F?E:?8 2AAD D9@F=5 5:D4FDD H:E9 2 5@4E@C E96 8@2=D E96J H@F=5 =:<6 E@ D6E[ 2?5 H96E96C E96J 2C6 C62=:DE:4 2?5 249:6G23=6]k^Am