Instant.ly Study Finds That While Few Americans' Waistlines Shrink, Popularity of Wearable Fitness Technology Expands
It's the second full week of 2015 and already 83 percent of Americans are expected to lose the New Year's weight loss resolution battle, according to The Psychology of Weight Loss, a new study on consumer behaviors conducted by Instant.ly, the consumer insights platform provided by global online market research leader uSamp. By the third week of January, 24 percent will quit their "get fit" programs, blaming their failures on the inability to resist the temptation of junk food (46%) or being spread too thin and/or too bogged down with the pressures of family and work (31%).
Despite the staggering failure rates, the survey revealed that many respondents are looking to digital devices to help them shed extra pounds. In 2015, more than 20 percent of respondents plan to use a wearable fitness band or application to track their weight loss, with 21 percent indicating they're already using one. The reason? Twenty-eight percent of respondents know that their use of a fitness wearable or application has helped them reach their fitness goals in the past and they're looking to it as a path to success.
"We know wearables were all the rage in 2014, but most stories in the media focus on telling consumers what the use cases could be," said Andy Jolls, Chief Marketing Officer of uSamp, the company behind Instant.ly's suite of consumer insights tools. "For the first time, the public is reporting that these devices have paid off, but the staggering gap between those utilizing such tools to reach their goals and those missing their resolutions all together should tell marketers they need to do a better job of reaching consumers and educating them about product benefits. In fact, our study yields direct opportunities for marketers to capitalize on the benefits of gamifying weight loss or better showcasing a rewards system when dieters hit milestones."
