The Dark Side of Fitness Apps: Study Says They Can Do More Harm Than Good

Fitness and calorie-tracking apps may not always be the motivational tools they appear to be.

According to new research from University College London (UCL) and Loughborough University, some users experience feelings of shame, disappointment and demotivation while using popular fitness apps —potentially undermining their health and wellbeing.

The study, published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, analyzed 58,881 posts on Twitter (before its rebrand as X) referring to five leading fitness apps: MyFitnessPal, Strava, WW (formerly Weight Watchers), Workouts by Muscle Booster, Fitness Coach & Diet, and FitCoach.

Using artificial intelligence, researchers filtered out 13,799 posts expressing negative sentiment and grouped them into recurring themes.

Among the most common frustr