High-tech armband can aid weight loss
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Armband and Smartphone: The BodyMedia FIT System
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Losing weight, I am told, is among the most difficult things in life to accomplish -- so any help you can get would be appreciated.
BodyMedia, a Pittsburgh company, may have finally created the aid that many people need: The BodyMedia Fit. The BodyMedia Fit is a combination armband, software application and website that together helps you monitor your activities, calculate your caloric intake and burn rate, and monitor your sleep habits, thereby helping you understand how to react to impact your health.
I normally don't worry much about my weight, but I figured I could set a goal to lose five pounds to see whether the bundle would help. The results so far are pretty impressive.
The armband looks like an oversized electronic watch with a white face and LED lights. You wear it high on your arm where sensors for heat flux, skin charge and skin temperature on the back of the device can monitor 9,000 body variables to determine what's happening in your body. It also has a 3-axis accelerometer to monitor you movements. You can wear it for up to 23 hours to keep you focused on activities that help you reach your goals.
The BodyMedia Fit armband doesn't show you the information interactively (although you can purchase a separate digital display to get minute-by-minute updates). Most of us would slip off the armband occasionally, connect it to our computers via USB cable, and let it sync with a website designed to share the findings.
The BodyMedia Activity Manager, available by logging in on the company's website, shows us that information in detail and summary formats.
The summary page shows eight categories from calories burned and consumed, to physical activity, steps taken and sleep duration. It tells me, for instance, that this morning, I took 2,071 steps out of the 8,000 it wants me to take daily to achieve my goal.
First Published January 30, 2011 12:00 am
