Could your always-on fitness tracker be doing more harm than good?

Apps and trackers are intended to guide us along the path of wellness, but research suggests the outcomes are not always positive 

Research has found that many users of health and fitness apps express disappointment and anxiety about their slow progress towards algorithm-generated targets. Picture: iStock

Keeping tabs on daily calories, nutrients, and activity is a way of life for many who swear it is an invaluable crutch for helping them shape up.

Statistics from Sport Ireland suggest that, even in 2021, more than half the population uses wearable technology to track their physical activities, although with the boom in tracking — global downloads of diet and fitness apps grew to 3.6bn worldwide last year — it is likely there has been another sizeable leap in their use since then. Apps and trackers are intended to guide us along the path to wellness, but research suggests that the outcomes of relying too heavily on advice from a diet or fitness app can be life-changing for all the wrong reasons.