Smartwatch, scale and visceral fat: a study of 60 adults

A study published in Nutrients (MDPI) followed 60 middle-aged and older adults, aged 40 and over, for 6 months. All of them had a smartwatch and a smart scale for self-monitoring: one group was seen only at the start and at the end, the other also had monthly follow-up and remote feedback. Body composition was measured with multi-frequency bioimpedance.

Results after 6 months

In the group with monthly follow-up, BMI, fat mass and visceral fat went down while skeletal muscle mass stayed stable; in the control group these values did not change.

The authors think the digital tools likely helped adherence by making weight and activity trends visible, but adherence itself was not measured. They suggest a programme like this may support lasting lifestyle change, and present it as a possibility.

Many low-calorie diets reduce both fat and muscle.

Measuring body composition makes the difference between losing fat and losing muscle visible, and can help people keep the protein intake and activity level that preserve lean mass.

Why visceral fat matters

Visceral fat, the intra-abdominal fat around the organs, is associated with insulin resistance, systemic inflammation and cardiovascular risk.

It is invisible on the scale and in BMI: it takes a body composition measurement.

The limits of the study

The sample is small and, as the authors themselves write, the study was not designed as a fully randomised controlled trial.

The participants' food intake was not rigorously quantified either.

The Digital Twin lines up the data your devices write to your phone, such as weight, body fat percentage and lean mass when your scale records them, and shows you how they change over time. It does not calculate risk indices and it does not diagnose: this research describes groups of people, not you. These are data to read together with your doctor.