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Who’s wearing wearable tech?

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Wearable tech might not be so great at helping people get healthy.

Recent surveys have found that, though a major, expanding industry, wearable tech isn’t as popular among those who would benefit most from it.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, wearable tech is more popular among fitness enthusiasts, such as runners. People use them to track their daily runs, activity, sleep and nutrition, but a recent survey has found the people using the devices to do this are already healthy.

In the United States, 48 per cent of users who have tried wearable tech are under 35 and nearly 40 per cent earn over US $100,000, groups which, more than others, tend to already live healthy, active lifestyles.

“Perhaps for these reasons, wearable devices seem to appeal to groups that might need them least,” write the authors of the study, which was published in the Journal of American Medical Association. “The individuals who might have the most to gain from these devices are likely to be older and less affluent.”

The researchers who conducted the study note that there are hurdles in connecting less healthy populations with wearable tech. Notably, the devices tend to be expensive, some costing more than $200.

The authors suggest that, though these devices are useful for tracking fitness, the real challenge is connecting user with the new, growing industry.

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