Fitness trackers are thought to be a very useful accessory for exercising. There are various trackers on the market such as Fitbit's, Jawbone's, Garmin's, Apple watches, and Nike. However, a new study has debunked the idea that fitness trackers can help people lose weight.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), has found that fitness trackers do not give an edge to one's weight-loss activities, as compared to traditional, standard weight-loss procedures. Simply put, fitness trackers just help people to keep track of their fitness, not to lose weight.

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"These technologies are focused on physical activity, like taking steps and getting your heart rate up," the lead author of the study, John Jakicic from the University of Pittsburgh, told NPR.

As part of the study, 470 participants were put on a low-calorie diet coupled with some exercise for 24 months. Weight measurements were done every six months. About half of the respondents were asked to wear a fitness tracker, and the remaining half were tasked with personally monitoring their diet and physical activity.

Only about 75 percent of the participants were able to complete the study. After the two-year period, however, the researchers discovered that those who wore fitness trackers lost less weight compared to those who did not.

In fact, those who wore trackers lost only an average of 7.7 pounds, compared to the average 13 pounds shed by those who did not.

Jakicic said that the difference could be attributed to how people respond when they see their progress via fitness trackers.

"People would say, 'Oh, I exercised a lot today, now I can eat more.' And they might eat more than they otherwise would have," Jakicic said.

Although the fitness trackers used in the study measured exercise-generated body heat, instead of measuring heart rate like other fitness trackers do, researchers believe that the results of the study are relevant to the current devices on the market.