Researchers found that some people using fitness and calorie tracking apps reported feelings of shame, irritation and disappointment when they missed goals or logged unhealthy food.The study suggests rigid targets and algorithm-driven expectations may undermine motivation rather than support healthier behaviour.The researchers say apps should take a broader approach to wellbeing instead of focusing too narrowly on weight loss and strict targets.
Fitness trackers and health apps are often sold as useful tools for self-improvement.
For many people, they are.
But new research suggests they can also backfire.
Researchers from UCL and Loughborough University analysed tens of thousands of posts on X about popular fitness apps.
They focused on posts with negative sentiment and found repeated patterns.
Users described feeling ashamed when they logged unhealthy food, irritated by app notifications and disappointed when they failed to hit goals.
Some also described becoming demotivated and giving up altogether.
That is the opposite of what these apps are supposed to do.
The problem, according to the researchers, is that many of these platforms use rigid targets that do not reflect real life.
Calories, steps and exercise goals can be treated as if they are the whole story, even when people are tired, stressed, unwell or simply having an off day.
In some cases, users reported targets that seemed absurd or unhealthy.
That highlights a wider issue.
An algorithm may be good at setting numerical goals, but not at understanding a person’s actual life.
The study does not say fitness apps are harmful across the board.
The researchers themselves note that they only looked at negative posts, not the overall balance of benefits and harms.
Still, the warning is a fair one.
If these tools are going to support long-term behaviour change, they need to do more than punish people for falling short.
Health is not just about hitting numbers – as people with diabetes know all too well.