# Wearables plus coaching beat data alone

> A study of 12,678 WHOOP users shows wearable devices cut tobacco use in half when paired with structured behavior change support.
- Title: Wearables plus coaching beat data alone · Fastcompany
- Summary: A study of 12,678 WHOOP users shows wearable devices cut tobacco use in half when paired with structured behavior change support. Wearable devices combined…
- Keywords: wearable technology, behavior change, tobacco cessation, health tracking, whoop, continuous glucose monitors, digital health, public health, truth initiative, Wearables, plus, coaching
- Source: Fastcompany — https://fastcompany.com/91631103/harness-the-potential-power-of-wearables
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: wearable technology, behavior change, tobacco cessation, health tracking, whoop, continuous glucose monitors, digital health, public health, truth initiative
## The wearables boom
People increasingly use sleep trackers, smartwatches, and continuous glucose monitors to understand their health. These devices share information and suggest what users can do with it.
## Data drives behavior change
Wearables may turn abstract health consequences into immediate behavior change by giving consumers direct attention to health feedback rooted in their own data.
## The WHOOP study
A peer-reviewed observational study by wearable brand WHOOP tracked twelve thousand six hundred seventy-eight new users for seventy-two weeks to measure health outcomes.
## Tobacco use dropped sharply
Reported daily tobacco use among WHOOP users fell from fifty-five point one percent to twenty-seven point two percent over the study period.
## Quitting rates climbed
Among participants who used tobacco at the study's start and had follow-up data, twenty-eight point two percent reported no tobacco use during the final period.
## Engagement matters most
People who engaged more consistently with their own wearable data tended to reduce tobacco use more than those who did not engage regularly.
## Health markers improved
Participants who substantially reduced tobacco use also experienced favorable changes in resting heart rate, respiratory rate, and sleep duration.
## Study limitations
The data do not establish that wearing the device caused tobacco reduction. Tobacco use was self-reported and included all types broadly without separation.
## Glucose monitors and diabetes
Research from two thousand twenty-three showed continuous glucose monitors paired with food tracking and activity monitoring can support metabolic health and help prevent Type II diabetes.
## Knowledge alone is not enough
People generally know they should exercise more, sleep matters, and nicotine is addictive. Knowing something and acting on it are two different things.
## Feedback closes the gap
For some people, self-monitoring and visual feedback are the missing ingredients. For others, guidance on making changes prompted by that feedback matters most.
## Wearables as one tool
Wearables are not a replacement for evidence-based tobacco cessation support but can be considered another tool in the behavior-change ecosystem.
## The combined approach
Someone quitting tobacco using a wearable alongside a proven cessation program gets behavioral support, personalized strategies, and direct feedback on sleep, heart rate, and stress patterns.
## Quitting becomes a process
That combination could make quitting feel less like a single enormous decision and more like an ongoing process of experimentation, feedback, and adjustment.
## The next generation of tools
Digital health tools combining behavioral science with continuous personalized feedback could help people see the connection between everyday choices and how they feel.
## Lasting population health impact
Whether sleeping more, drinking less, exercising regularly, managing stress, or quitting addictive behavior, wearables plus support could drive lasting health change at scale.
## Key takeaway

Wearable devices combined with proven behavior change programs can drive lasting health improvements, cutting tobacco use and supporting metabolic health at scale.