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 frustrations were feelings of shame at logging “unhealthy” foods, irritation at constant notifications to track calories or reduce sugar intake and disappointment at slow progress toward algorithm-generated targets.
In some cases, these emotions appeared to lead users to give up on their goals entirely—the exact opposite of what these tools are supposed to do.
Senior author Dr. Paulina Bondaronek, from the UCL Institute of Health Informatics, told Newsweek that the researchers found users of the apps often expressed negative emotions like shame, guilt, frustration and burnout especially in relation to: “Reminders that felt nagging or judgmental, losing streaks, which triggered feelings of failure, [and] calorie or step targets that were seen as unrealistic or rigid,” she said.
“These kinds of [Twitter] posts suggest that design features focused on control and numbers (like calories, grams of fat, carbohydrates or protein) may backfire emotionally for some users,” Dr. Bondaronek added.
A spokesperson from WeightWatchers (WW) told Newsweek: "WeightWatchers has a long history of scientific validation with 180 published papers and 40 clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy and positive impact of our holistic model of care. Grounded in science, our approach combines behavioral and clinical strategies that support the unique challenges of a weight loss journey.
"A recent clinical trial highlighted the impact of the WeightWatchers Clinic program (WeightWatchers behavioral and community support program with accompanying clinical care). Participants reported a 53 percent boost in overall quality of life, including +197 percent improvement in self-esteem, +78 percent in sex life, +62 percent in physical function and a -33.8 percent decrease in depression symptoms.
"Those on WeightWatchers’ behavioral and community support program reported +16 percent in quality of life improvement including, +35 percent increase in self-esteem, +21 percent increase in sex life, and +13 percent increase in physical function.
"Through the WeightWatchers app, members gain access to a supportive curriculum and a community of millions, helping them to combat isolation, strengthen emotional health and stay accountable to their goals, and most importantly, to themselves. This community celebrates all moments along the journey—from non-scale victories to meaningful health outcomes—because progress looks different for everyone.
"We continuously evolve our app and member experience in partnership with behavioral scientists, obesity-trained clinicians and our members, to ensure it provides encouragement and practical tools that foster confidence."
Newsweek also reached out to Strava, MyFitnessPal, FitCoach, Workouts by Muscle Booster and Fitness Coach & Diet for comment.
Researchers of the study also noted that users were often surprised or confused by calorie recommendations.
One individual reported being told they needed to consume “[negative] 700 calories a day” to reach their target. Another warned that following app-generated goals could create “a deficit that’s unachievable, unsustainable and very unhealthy.”
The paper found that app goals were frequently dictated by user weight targets rather than public health recommendations, such as NHS [National Health Service] guidelines on daily calorie intake. In other words, personalization was limited, and the apps often lacked the nuance needed for safe or accurate calorie tracking.
One user even pointed out that their app failed to log breastfeeding—a calorie-intensive activity—highlighting how standardized systems can miss individual realities. Others expressed frustration over technical issues and data loss, compounding feelings of discouragement.
These reactions, the authors said, align with previous findings that quantifying an activity can sometimes diminish the enjoyment derived from it.
A Strava user, for example, celebrated achieving a personal best in a half marathon but focused their post on the disappointment of the time not being recorded by the app.
Another user described forcing themselves to go to the gym after missing a calorie goal, writing that they felt “miserably stuffed,” indicating their exercise was driven by guilt rather than pleasure.
Dr. Bondaronek believes this reflects a wider cultural issue. “Self-monitoring and action planning are powerful behavior change techniques, but we over-use them,” she said. “We need to learn to be kinder to ourselves. We are good at blaming and shaming... but actually it has the opposite effect.”
Still, she cautioned against assuming the apps are purely harmful: “It is important to note, too, that we only looked at negative posts, so we cannot assess the overall effect of these apps in terms of our wellbeing. The apps may have a negative side, but they likely also provide benefits to many people.”
Co-author Dr Lucy Porter, from the UCL Division of Psychology & Language Sciences, said: “We know from previous research that feeling ashamed and miserable about yourself is not going to support healthy, long-term behavior change—what we need to know now is how pervasive these effects on morale and emotional wellbeing are, and whether there is anything that can be done to adapt fitness apps so that they better meet people's needs.”
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