Accurate Fitness Trackers for People with Obesity

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New research solves the problem of inaccurate fitness trackers for people of different sizes.

Many may not realize that fitness trackers often miscalculate calorie burn for people with obesity, largely due to differences in gait, speed and energy output. To solve this problem, researchers from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, created a validated, wrist-based algorithm that correctly estimates energy burn in people with obesity; achieving over 95% accuracy.

Under the leadership of Nabil I. Alshurafa, PhD, researchers at the HABits Lab created the algorithm tuned specifically for those with higher body mass, who are often underrepresented in fitness tech design. The algorithm is open source, rigorously testable and ready for other researchers to build upon. Creators intend to deploy an activity-monitoring app later this year that will be available for both iOS and Android use.

Alshurafa created the algorithm after attending an exercise class with his mother-in-law who has obesity. “She worked harder than anyone else, yet when we glanced at the leaderboard, her numbers barely registered,” Alshurafa says. “That moment hit me: fitness shouldn’t feel like a trap for the people who need it most.”