Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston have partnered with activity tracker company Fitbit to see if tracking activity and weight loss can have an effect on breast cancer recurrence.
Nearly 3,200 overweight and obese women will participate in the study, scheduled to begin in August 2016. Fitbit will donate the products the participants will use in the study to track weight loss, including a Fitbit Charge HR fitness tracker that tracks all-day activity and heart rates, as well as a Fitbit Aria Wi-fi Smart Scale that tracks weight, body mass index, lean mass and body fat percentage. The scale wirelessly syncs to Fitbit's online or mobile dashboards. Additionally, participants will have access to FitStar, a software offering personalized video-based exercise experiences on mobile devices.
"It will be a challenge to help hundreds of women lose weight without actually ever meeting them face-to-face," said Jennifer Ligibel, MD, breast oncologist with Dana-Farber and lead investigator of the study. "Fitbit products will allow coaches to see how participants are doing in terms of meeting their weight, physical activity and caloric goals, and step in when women need extra support to stay on track."
More articles on Fitbit:
Worth the weight: What 3 hospital CEOs gained from losing
Oklahoma university requiring freshman to wear Fitbits, spurs concerns over tracking data
Strict tech security for 'gadget geek' President Obama