Photo courtesy of Pexels and Pixabay
It’s not uncommon to look around the room and see that more people are wearing some version of a Fitbit or Apple Watch than are wearing regular watches or jewelry.
CNN Health conducted a survey and found that 89 percent of participants wore their activity trackers at all times. Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that consistently using a fitness tracker can increase your steps per day by more than a mile.
The newest version of the Apple Watch can track sleep cycles, blood oxygen levels, ECG signals and more. Applications such as EverlyWell allow consumers to perform, from right at home, finger pricks for food sensitivity tests, heart health tests, B vitamins tests and beyond. Health technology has become so advanced that people can keep track of practically everything going on in their bodies.
Despite these benefits, some experts believe the technology has spurred an unhealthy obsession. George Zgourides, a family medicine doctor and author of Stop Worrying About Your Health, insists that all this access to information contributes to a problem called health anxiety.
Health anxiety is the misinterpretation of normal bodily sensations, and results are dangerous. People who suffer from this feel physical symptoms that mimic those of the very diseases they worry about: dizziness, stomachaches, rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, etc.
With health technology and trackers more readily available, data never before accessible is at consumers’ fingertips. This, Zgourides and other medical professionals say, is more fuel for health anxiety.
A study published in Eating Behaviors shows a strong correlation between calorie tracking apps and eating disorder symptoms among college students. CNN Health’s continued study on the topic reports that 43 percent of Fitbit users surveyed claim that activity without an active tracking device is a waste of time. 59 percent report their daily routines are controlled by their Fitbit, and 30 percent view their Fitbit as making them feel very guilty.
Health trackers are not inherently negative, but the dependency and obsession some people develop are. Some app developers are trying to change that. For example, YouAte is a nutrition app that allows consumers to log their meals, but instead of counting calories, it categorizes food as “on-path” or “off-path” based on an individual’s goals. This takes away the meticulous tracking of numbers and macronutrients and fosters healthy, mindful eating.
Let’s just keep it simple, people. As the famous food author Michael Pollan says, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Mallory Arnold is an editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
