If you're looking to shed weight by relying on a smartphone app and/or a portable fitness gadget, look for one that comes with a "virtual coach," at least according to new research published last week.
US-based researchers from the Center for Connected Health and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston found that virtual coaches increased step counts in obese and overweight subjects who wore a wireless device pedometer.
“New technologies are showing great promise as effective, accessible, and inexpensive solutions to a number of chronic health conditions, and Internet-based interventions are demonstrating reductions in weight using a combination of self-monitoring, education, and motivational messaging,” stated study coauthor Dr. Joseph Kvedar. “We believe these results may be further enhanced with the addition of automated coaching, to promote accountability and adherence.”
In the study, 70 patients wore the device for 12 weeks, while half of the participants had access to a virtual coach app three times a week for about five to 10 minutes each session. During the study, while the control group slacked off, the virtual coaching group showed marked improvement, walking on average a half mile (.8 km) more a day than the control group. Findings were published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
Prior research on apps for weight loss suggests that while they can make things simpler, your app isn't likely to change your habits anytime soon. About everything that an app can do can be done without the technology, said Professor Ananda Mitra of the school of communcations at Wake Forest University in the US. But since apps are easy to use, you may be more likely to follow through on, say, your daily bike ride or calorie counting.
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