LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – Digital fitness apps designed to help millions of users pursue their health goals could actually be doing more harm than good. A new study shows that many users feel frustrated and discouraged by the apps, which could affect their motivation and ultimately their health.
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Digital fitness apps have exploded in recent years as they aim to help millions of people pursue their health and fitness goals. But a recent study by researchers at University College London and Loughborough University sheds critical light on this technology. The investigation of almost 59,000 posts on Platform X (formerly Twitter) shows that many users have negative experiences with these apps.
The researchers used artificial intelligence to analyze the data and found that nearly 14,000 posts expressed negative feelings about the apps. Users reported frustration with the complexity of calorie tracking and the platforms’ lack of personalization. One example is the inability to log activities such as breastfeeding, which represent significant calorie expenditure.
Another problem is that the goals set by the apps are often based not on public health guidelines, but on users’ personal weight goals. This can lead to unrealistic or even dangerous recommendations. One user reported that the app recommended that he consume a negative 700 calories per day to reach his goal weight, which is obviously unhealthy and unsustainable.
The emotional toll of logging daily activities is another theme the researchers identified. Many users feel pressured by notifications asking them to count calories or reduce sugar. These reminders, intended to encourage consistency, often lead to feelings of guilt and anxiety, which undermine the joy of self-monitoring.
Technical issues like incorrect calorie counts and app crashes that ruin hours of effort also add to the frustration. These negative experiences can cause users to abandon the apps and neglect their health goals. The researchers are therefore calling for a redesign of apps that puts the user at the center and integrates psychologically based approaches to promote well-being and intrinsic motivation.
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