Penn Med Straps 10 Fitbits On Research Subjects, Makes Them Run While Carrying Two Smartphones

Penn researchers are usually pretty legit. From cancer to HIV, Penn does some groundbreaking stuff. But recently when we were perusing The Journal of the American Medical Association, something in the methods section of a paper made us a little skeptical. Researchers from Penn Med aimed to test the accuracy of various wearable fitness devices against smartphone apps. How did they accomplish this? By strapping six Fitbits on subjects, putting both an iPhone and an Android (four apps total) in their pockets, and having them run on a treadmill to record the steps taken. Does the added weight of the dozens of devices affect the results? Do the subjects feel as though they can't move because they are shackled by Fitbits? We don't usually carry two phones when running, but when we do, we're so afraid of breaking our screens that we waddle like a penguin. These results don't convince us one (Fit)bit.