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LONDON -- Wearing a fitness tracker may help you keep tabs on how many steps you take, but the devices themselves -- even with the lure of a cash reward -- probably wont improve your health, according to the biggest study yet done on the trendy technology.Scientists say that although the activity trackers may boost the number of steps people take, it probably isnt enough to help them drop pounds or improve overall health.These are basically measuring devices, said Eric Finkelstein, a professor at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, who led the research. Knowing how active you are doesnt translate into getting people to do more and the novelty of having that information wears off pretty quickly.Finkelstein and colleagues tested the Fitbit Zip tracker in a group of 800 adults in Singapore, by dividing them into four groups. Of those people, more than half were overweight and obese and about one third were active.A control group got information about exercise but no tracker and a second group got the Fitbit Zip; everyone in those groups also got about $2.92 a week. Participants in the last two groups got the tracker and about $11 for every week they logged between 50,000 and 70,000 steps. One of the groups had the money donated to charity while the other kept the cash.After six months, people with the Fitbit and who got the cash payment showed the biggest boost in physical activity. But after a year, 90 percent of participants had abandoned the device. The physical activity of the Fitbit wearers did not decline over the year as much as it did for those who were not given a tracker, but the higher activity level wasnt enough to produce any improvements in weight, oxygen capacity, or blood pressure.These trackers can encourage people to take more steps, but it still seems like these random extra steps arent enough to really improve your health, Finkelstein said. He said whats needed is more active steps, or what would amount to brisk walking or more rigorous exercise.The study was paid for by Singapores ministry of health and published online Tuesday in the journal Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.The results seem to reinforce those of another study, published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In that study, conducted over two years, researchers found that adding wearable activity tracking devices to a diet and fitness program didnt result in more weight loss. Those who didnt wear devices lost about five pounds more than those who wore them, but both groups slimmed down and improved their eating habits, fitness and activity levels.Fitbit, in a statement responding to the study Tuesday, said: We are confident in the positive results our millions of users have seen from using Fitbit products. The statement went on to say that it was in the process of improving its trackers.Finkelstein said some of the newer fitness trackers have more advanced features, like prompts to exercise and ways to link to social media, but he still thinks it is unlikely people will radically change their exercise regimes without a more comprehensive approach.Some experts said the results were disappointing but not surprising.We should not be so naive to believe that simply by giving a sleek-looking gadget to someone, they will change deeply-rooted lifestyle habits, said Emmanuel Stamatakis, a physical activity expert at the University of Sydney who was not part of the research.Others said the trackers might be more useful if they were aimed specifically at unhealthy people.People who are active are already motivated so they dont need these devices, said Lars Bo Andersen of Norways Sogn and Fjordane University College.Fitbit shares have fallen by half since the beginning of the year, to just under $15 a share.---Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner contributed to this story from Chicago. 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Penn State coach James Franklin said Tuesday hes proud of kicker Joey Julius for how hes dealt with an eating disorder that kept him out of spring practice and led him to being admitted to a clinic for treatment this past summer.Julius said in a Facebook post this week that he was in therapy at McCallum Place Eating Disorder Center in St. Louis from May 9 to July 26.Were here to support Joey in every way possible, Franklin said. Im really proud of him. Besides that, I want to make sure that were supporting Joey in every way possible -- academically, athletically, socially, emotionally, the whole package.The 5-foot-10, 258-pound sophomore from Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, has handled kickoffs for the Nittany Lions this season. Nicknamed Big Toe, hes popular with fans for the fearlessness he displays in kick coverage.Julius said he decided to disclose his eating disorder publicly after discussing it with family, friends and the team.Due to my increase in not only weight but also depression and anxiety my team physicians started to notice not only a change in my overall happiness but also my performance as a normal human being, Julius wrote. Throughout this whole process I learned a lot about myself.The 21-year-old Julius said he has endured binge eating disorder the past 11 years and also showed signs of bulimia, the binge-and-purge disorder.In order to come to this conclusion I have no one to thank except for Coach James Franklin and my training staff and doctors that stuck with me throughout thiis whole process, Julius wrote.dddddddddddd. They all noticed that I was not myself and that I needed extensive care such as the program in St. Louis that I attended this summer.Julius encouraged anyone struggling with an eating disorder to reach out to him and that he would help.Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley said his teammates are proud of Julius feeling able to come forward.We knew he was dealing with something, McSorley said. We didnt know exactly what it was but we were supportive of him.Franklin said Julius situation is a reminder that a lot goes on in players lives beyond the sport.Joey had something going on, was away from us for a period of time, and I think the best thing that happened is Joey was able to do that without a lot of people asking questions and wondering where he was at or us talking about it, Franklin said.Julius is best known for his aggressive play on kick returns -- something counterintuitive for most kickers.In the season opener against Kent State, Julius knocked Kent State return man Raekwon James backward with a hard hit. Three weeks later he took down Michigans Jourdan Lewis. Both plays went viral.Last week, Minnesota linebacker Jaylen Waters was ejected for lowering his shoulder into Julius on what ended up being a touchback. Julius needed to be helped off the field.---AP college football website: http://collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '