tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/fitness-app-49196/articlesFitness app – The Conversation2022-05-04T12:33:36Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1779002022-05-04T12:33:36Z2022-05-04T12:33:36ZA boom in fitness trackers isn’t leading to a boom in physical activity – men, women, kids and adults in developed countries are all moving less<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459877/original/file-20220426-22-gzk038.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C23%2C7892%2C5273&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Since the mid-1990s, people have been doing less and less walking or bicycling to work and school and spending a lot more time staring at screens. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-couple-changing-channels-while-relaxing-on-royalty-free-image/1321174010?adppopup=true">RainStar/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Worldwide sales of fitness trackers increased from US$14 billion in 2017 to over <a href="https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/fitness-tracker-market-103358">$36 billion in 2020</a>. The skyrocketing success of these gadgets suggests that more people than ever see some value in keeping tabs on the number of steps they take, flights of stairs they climb, time they spend sitting and calories they burn. </p>
<p>The manufacturers of these devices certainly want consumers to believe that tracking fitness or health-related behaviors will spur them on to increase their activity levels and make them healthier. </p>
<p>Our analysis of research published over the past 25 years suggests otherwise.</p>
<p>We are professors of kinesiology – the science of human body movement – at <a href="https://www.boisestate.edu/humanperformance/faculty-staff/dr-scott-conger/">Boise State</a>, the <a href="https://krss.utk.edu/faculty-staff/david-r-bassett-jr-ph-d/">University of Tennessee</a> and the <a href="https://webapps.unf.edu/faculty/bio/n01443361">University of North Florida</a>. To learn whether and how physical activity has changed in the years since fitness trackers became popular, we analyzed more than two decades of research from several industrialized nations – all conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p>Our systematic review of data from eight developed nations around the world shows that despite the surge in sales of fitness trackers, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000002794">physical activity declined</a> from 1995 to 2017. What’s more, we discovered that this was not an isolated effect in one or two countries, but a widespread trend. </p>
<h2>Reviewing the research</h2>
<p>To conduct the study, we first searched for published research that tracked physical activity such as walking, household activities or playing sports throughout the day. We wanted studies that obtained two “snapshots” of daily activity from a population, with the measurements separated by at least one year.</p>
<p>We found 16 studies from eight different countries that met these criteria: Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United States. The studies were conducted between 1995 and 2017.</p>
<p>It is important to note that these snapshots did not track specific individuals. Rather, they tracked samples of people from the same age group. For example, one Japanese study of physical activity among adults ages 20 to 90 collected data each year for 22 years from people in each age group. </p>
<p>Scientists tracked the participants’ physical activity using a variety of wearable devices, from simple pedometers – step counters – to more sophisticated activity monitors like accelerometers. </p>
<p>The study groups ranged from large, nationally representative samples numbering tens of thousands of people to small samples of several hundred students from a few local schools. </p>
<p>After identifying the research studies, we calculated an “effect size” for each study. The effect size is a method of adjusting the data to allow for an “apples-to-apples” comparison. To calculate the effect size, we used the data reported in the studies. These include the average physical activity at the beginning and end of each study, the sample size and a measure of the variability in physical activity. Using a technique called meta-analysis, this allowed us to combine the results of all studies to come up with an overall trend. </p>
<p>We discovered that overall, researchers documented fairly consistent declines in physical activity, with similar decreases in each geographical region and in both sexes. Overall the decrease in physical activity per person was over 1,100 steps per day between 1995 and 2017.</p>
<p>Our most striking finding was how sharply physical activity declined among adolescents ages 11 to 19 years – by roughly 30% – in the span of a single generation. For instance, when we compared the studies reporting physical activity in steps per day, we found the total steps per day per decade declined by an average of 608 steps per day in adults, 823 steps per day in children and 1,497 steps per day in adolescents.</p>
<p>Our study doesn’t address why physical activity has declined over the past 25 years. However, the studies we reviewed mentioned some contributing factors. </p>
<h2>More staring at screens, less walking or bicycling</h2>
<p>Among adolescents, declines in physical activity were associated with increases in ownership and use of smartphones, tablets, video games and social media. </p>
<p>In the U.S., for example, screen time increased dramatically in adolescents, from <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED527859">five hours per day in 1999</a> to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/dbp.0000000000000272">8.8 hours per day in 2017</a>. </p>
<p>At school, most of the physical activity that adolescents perform has traditionally come from physical education classes. However, the changes in the frequency of physical education classes during the study period are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2014.06.002">inconsistent and vary from country to country</a>. </p>
<p>All of these factors may help to explain the decline in physical activity that we observed in our study.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Lisa Cadmus-Bertram, an assistant professor of kinesiology at University of Wisconsin – Madison, explains which fitness trackers are best at tracking.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In addition, fewer adults and children are walking or bicycling to school or work than 25 years ago. For instance, in the late 1960s, most U.S. children ages 5 to 14 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2007.02.022">rode a bicycle or walked to school</a>. Since then, this “active transportation” has largely <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2011.04.006">been replaced by automobile trips</a>. Rates of travel by school bus or public transportation have seen little change. </p>
<h2>So why use a fitness tracker?</h2>
<p>So if levels of physical activity have dropped at the same time that the popularity of fitness tracking has grown, what makes these gadgets useful?</p>
<p>Fitness trackers can help to increase people’s awareness of their daily physical activity. However, these devices are only part of the solution to addressing the problem of sedentary lifestyles. They are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.14781">facilitators, rather than drivers, of behavior change</a>. </p>
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<p>When a person’s physical activity goes down, it opens the door to overall reduced fitness levels and other health problems such as obesity or diabetes. On the other hand, physical activity has a dramatic positive impact <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/hco.0b013e32833ce972">on health</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.16111223">well-being</a>. The first step to increasing active movement is to measure it, which these devices can do. But successfully increasing one’s overall physical activity requires several additional factors such as goal setting, self-monitoring, positive feedback and social support.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/177900/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research is revealing that fitness trackers alone can be helpful facilitators toward changing a sedentary lifestyle but don’t motivate people to increase their physical activity.Scott A. Conger, Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology, Boise State UniversityDavid Bassett, Professor and Department Head of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport Studies, University of TennesseeLindsay Toth, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, University of North FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1498862021-01-07T18:02:08Z2021-01-07T18:02:08ZConnected workouts can help you get fit alongside virtual buddies during the pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377043/original/file-20210104-17-1cfjt5n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=135%2C692%2C7180%2C4795&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Riding together from afar can help you build the exercise habit.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/man-cycling-indoor-with-exercise-bike-trainer-royalty-free-image/1222113631">ArtistGNDphotography/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Sales of exercise gear and technology-based fitness tools have <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/09/how-the-pandemic-has-changed-the-fitness-industry.html">exploded in the U.S.</a> as people try to maintain their workout regimens without going to the gym.</p>
<p>Purchases range from simple dumbbells and outdoor bicycles to internet-connected devices such as the Peloton stationary bike or the Tonal digital weight machine. There are exercise video games like Nintendo’s Wii Fit and PS-2’s Eye Toy: Kinetic; wearable technology like Fitbits or Apple Watches; and mobile apps like Strava. People are even using platforms like Zoom or Skype to connect with a personal trainer.</p>
<p>These <a href="https://www.techaheadcorp.com/blog/connected-fitness/">connected fitness tools</a> bring together your exercise workouts and your digital life. <a href="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1191-4863">As researchers in</a> <a href="http://education.msu.edu/search/Formview.aspx?email=kap@msu.edu">the field of kinesiology</a>, we’ve studied the effects of connected fitness on motivation and fitness outcomes. If you’re looking for ways to beef up your fitness during pandemic-related downtime or to replace a pre-COVID-19 exercise routine, one of these tech-enabled items may work for you.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377045/original/file-20210104-19-1satrtd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="young woman uses a Wii Fit video game" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377045/original/file-20210104-19-1satrtd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377045/original/file-20210104-19-1satrtd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377045/original/file-20210104-19-1satrtd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377045/original/file-20210104-19-1satrtd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377045/original/file-20210104-19-1satrtd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377045/original/file-20210104-19-1satrtd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377045/original/file-20210104-19-1satrtd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Games like the Wii Fit make users move their bodies to play.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/skylar-grey-gets-her-hands-on-wii-fit-u-while-at-the-news-photo/463355359">Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Nintendo</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Tapping into the tech</h2>
<p>Connected fitness is not new. The <a href="http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00162.x">first such technology</a> was developed in the 1980s: stationary bikes connected to game consoles that required pedaling and steering on a handlebar-mounted gamepad. Exercise video games (exergames) were first created around the same time, really taking off in the late 1990s with games like Dance Dance Revolution and Nintendo Wii Fit <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2014.0077">that require limb or trunk movement</a> as the primary interface with the technology.</p>
<p>New and creative technologies, however, continue to make exercise more convenient, trackable and customized. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2012.673850">Some exergames have become more gamified</a>, including rewards, challenge levels, leader boards and immersive story lines to <a href="https://us.humankinetics.com/products/advances-in-sport-and-exercise-psychology-4th-edition">create elements of competition and enhance engagement</a>.</p>
<p>Even before the pandemic, connected fitness devices and exergames were appealing because they eliminate some of common barriers to exercise or physical therapy. Users don’t need to worry about the scheduling problems, costs of joining exercise programs or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2008.11.002">social physique anxiety</a> that can be associated with working out in public. These tools also shift the focus away from what can be unpleasant parts of exercising – like exertion, fatigue and boredom – to novel and engaging aspects of the activity.</p>
<p>One hitch, though, is that so far there are no independent “Consumer Reports”-type evaluations of how much these technologies affect performance outcomes or influence behavior. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377046/original/file-20210104-17-1ha81ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="older woman on exercise bike" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377046/original/file-20210104-17-1ha81ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377046/original/file-20210104-17-1ha81ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377046/original/file-20210104-17-1ha81ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377046/original/file-20210104-17-1ha81ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377046/original/file-20210104-17-1ha81ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377046/original/file-20210104-17-1ha81ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377046/original/file-20210104-17-1ha81ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Inspiring gameified content doesn’t help your fitness if you don’t make it a habit.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/senior-woman-on-exercise-bike-royalty-free-image/1182742824">MoMo Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Connected in more than one way</h2>
<p>Purchasing fitness equipment and technology-based devices is a great first step toward adding more physical activity to your life. But just like with a gym membership that’s paid for but never used, a high-tech piece of gear can gather dust.</p>
<p>Luckily, exercise psychology researchers have figured out frameworks that are more likely to help folks keep up the intensity of their exercise regimens and turn them into habits. Setting exercise goals, having individual choices in the type of workout, seeing improvements in your performance and exercising with others all make you more likely to stick with it. <a href="https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-9522-1.ch011">Working out in a group</a>, in particular, enhances the experience. The added social elements – including cooperation, coordination, obligation to the group, social comparison and even competition – all contribute.</p>
<p>Of course, finding the right exercise partner or group in these pandemic times can be difficult. Gyms are closed and social distancing guidelines are in effect. Can a virtual buddy do the job?</p>
<p>Our research team, which began investigating partnered exergames long before the pandemic, was the first to examine the use of virtual as well as nonhuman, software-generated exercise partners.</p>
<p>Based on principles of social comparison and what it takes to be a valued teammate, we customized our partners to be somewhat faster than the exerciser to provide a challenge to keep up. We also electronically “tethered” the partner to the exerciser in such a way that if the exerciser slowed down below their target pace, the partner had to slow down too. So if you start slacking, you slow down the team. This tool builds in some obligation to your partner.</p>
<p>We found that motivation and performance improve when the partner is slightly better than the exerciser. This finding held whether the partner is real, but virtually presented, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003732">or unreal and software-generated</a>, and with a stationary bike <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.07.004">or a walking app</a>.</p>
<p>Even if you don’t have a software-generated exercise buddy, you can team up with someone on FaceTime or Zoom while you are on a stationary bike, treadmill or even doing dance aerobics. That way you can challenge and encourage each other to keep up the pace. Teaming up with someone who will also hold you accountable to keep showing up is also helpful. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CJJu4z1h4E6","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Even if you can’t find someone who can work out virtually with you at the same time, you can still share your workout results, compare notes and set future team challenges. A number of running apps, like Strava and RunKeeper, for instance, allow you to keep in touch with running buddies. Pricey indoor cycling classes like Peloton offer many options for how much or how little you want to compare with others, and let you share workouts with friends.</p>
<p>But you can apply the same motivational principles without spending money on such programs. Choose your activity, set your workout goals and search out an exercise buddy where you both challenge and encourage each other. If finding a workout pal is difficult, <a href="https://www.getmotivatedbuddies.com">GetMotivedBuddies</a> provides a low-cost membership.</p>
<h2>Just having fun or really working up a sweat</h2>
<p>Certainly, any movement is superior to a sedentary lifestyle in terms of health benefits. But to meet U.S. Department of Health and Human Services <a href="http://health.gov/paguidelines/">recommendations</a>, adults should attain at least 150 minutes per week of physical activity that is of at least the intensity of a brisk walk.</p>
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<p><a href="https://us.humankinetics.com/products/advances-in-sport-and-exercise-psychology-4th-edition">Few of the companies that sell technology-based tools</a> to increase physical activity have provided evidence of objective changes in long-term physical activity. Exergames may or may not help you meet recommended levels of physical activity.</p>
<p>In one systematic review of 28 studies, researchers found that when playing the game outside of structured settings, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198112444956">exergamers rarely hit moderate to vigorous physical activity levels</a>. The most common exergames reviewed were DDR, Wii Fit, Playstation2 and GameBike.</p>
<p>An important consideration is how tools are used. For example, people can cheat to avoid exercise with a Wii controller by simply flicking the wrist instead of performing full-body movements. People still must commit to using tools for their intended purpose. </p>
<p>Physical activity is good for you in so many ways – including lowering the risk of developing multiple forms of cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Importantly, physical activity is also positively linked to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-020-00650-3">immune system function</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2015.1022901">mental health</a>, which are paramount concerns during a pandemic like COVID-19.</p>
<p>So figure out your personal preferences and what motivates you. See what resources you can access. Fortunately, there are creative options available for those wishing to be physically active, and many of them involve technology-based tools. Now is a great time to get connected to fitness.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/149886/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deborah L. Feltz has received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, and National Institutes of Health. She currently does not receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karin Pfeiffer has previously received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She has previously received and currently receives funding from the National Institutes of Health. </span></em></p>From step counters and active video games to apps for exercisers and tech-enabled gear, there are a lot of ways to combine your workouts with your digital life.Deborah Feltz, Distinguished Professor Emerita of Kinesiology, Michigan State UniversityKarin Pfeiffer, Professor of Kinesiology, Michigan State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1410522020-06-23T03:42:35Z2020-06-23T03:42:35ZEvery step you take: why Google’s plan to buy Fitbit has the ACCC’s pulse racing<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343130/original/file-20200622-75522-5r1j5p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=89%2C107%2C5901%2C3880&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bangkok-thailand-october-06-2018-view-1381312625">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/google%E2%80%99s-purchase-of-fitbit-raises-preliminary-competition-concerns">expressed concern</a> about Google’s <a href="https://investor.fitbit.com/press/press-releases/press-release-details/2019/Fitbit-to-Be-Acquired-by-Google/default.aspx">proposed acquisition</a> of fitness tracker company Fitbit. </p>
<p>The acquisition will let Google add years’ worth of Fitbit users’ data to its already unequalled consumer data collection. This could reduce competition in certain health services and other markets in Australia.</p>
<p>Google revealed its plans to acquire Fitbit Inc. for US$2.1 billion last November. But the deal will only go ahead if it gets clearance from competition regulators around the world. </p>
<p>While the ACCC is the first regulator globally to announce its concerns, the <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/technology/articles/2020-06-16/eu-antitrust-regulators-set-july-20-deadline-for-google-fitbit-deal">European Commission</a> and <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/04/03/feds-ramp-up-probe-of-2-1b-google-fitbit-deal-amid-privacy-worries/">US Department of Justice</a> are also evaluating the deal. Both will likely take an interest in the ACCC’s views, for which <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/public-registers/mergers-registers/public-informal-merger-reviews/google-llc-proposed-acquisition-of-fitbit-inc">submissions are being accepted</a>.</p>
<h2>Collective concern is called for</h2>
<p>With more than <a href="https://investor.fitbit.com/press/press-releases/press-release-details/2019/Fitbit-to-Be-Acquired-by-Google/default.aspx">28 million people</a> using Fitbit wearable devices, many have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/nov/05/fitbit-google-acquisition-health-data">raised concerns</a> about Google adding Fitbit’s sensitive data to its <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-tracks-you-privacy/">already extensive tracking</a> of consumers. </p>
<p>Google has left many <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/google-buying-fitbit-health-data-privacy">questions unanswered</a> about how it would use the data. Consumers have reason to be sceptical about Google’s <a href="https://blog.google/products/hardware/agreement-with-fitbit">privacy promises</a>, and the competitive effects of the merger. </p>
<h2>Sharing your intimate details</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.fitbit.com/legal/privacy-policy#info-we-collect">Fitbit collects</a> highly personal information, including sleep patterns, heart rate, active minutes, height and weight, date of birth, food logs, mobile number, biography and precise location data. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343364/original/file-20200623-188911-1pn8l2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343364/original/file-20200623-188911-1pn8l2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343364/original/file-20200623-188911-1pn8l2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343364/original/file-20200623-188911-1pn8l2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343364/original/file-20200623-188911-1pn8l2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343364/original/file-20200623-188911-1pn8l2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343364/original/file-20200623-188911-1pn8l2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343364/original/file-20200623-188911-1pn8l2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">According to estimates by Forbes, Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman will each receive as much as US$150 million (before taxes) as a result of selling their shares in Fitbit.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/techcrunch/48843669166/in/photolist-2hq9za1-2hq9zds-2hq9z2R-2hq7Fg5-2hqatFu-2hqatD5-2hq7DuV-gK72e8-gK85aV-v4bND4-onq9rn-K5d9iM-yF6L5x-yF2fNJ-HckB8b-K2cXLo-y1zRxj-yYpUqp-yWBmV9-yF2h3Y-MQCAUc-o4aupd-w1yGoX-oksFeJ-o4aGe3-yXChSp-yF2gwC-yXChcg-o4auZ1-o4aME4-yYpTJz-oiCtsm-oiCsUs-JXiS9P-o4aaab-okC9V5-JXj216-okCuEq-y1Jqi2-okEevr-oknxmr-o4arwE-okE3Hz-K5d7Nn-okEiRR-okEhDF-onqgXp-o4bAMZ-onqayT-okC7rY">TechCrunch/Flickr</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For those using Fitbit’s live coaching services, it also collects wellness plans and goals, calendar events, and communications with a coach. If you’re a woman using “female health tracking”, data can also include your periods, fertile times, ovulation days and health symptoms. </p>
<p>The ACCC regards Fitbit data as having “<a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/public-registers/documents/Google%20Fitbit%20-%20Statement%20of%20Issues%20-%2018%20June%202020.pdf">unique attributes</a>”, noting that datasets from other wearable devices are “not as voluminous, reliable or broad”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-accc-is-suing-google-over-tracking-users-heres-why-it-matters-126020">The ACCC is suing Google over tracking users. Here's why it matters</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Google’s privacy reassurances are not binding</h2>
<p>Last November, Google and Fitbit were quick to <a href="https://investor.fitbit.com/press/press-releases/press-release-details/2019/Fitbit-to-Be-Acquired-by-Google/default.aspx">reassure consumers</a> that “Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads”. A Google spokesperson told The Conversation: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Similar to our other products, with wearables, we will be transparent about the data we collect and why. And we do not sell personal information to anyone.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>However, the ACCC points out <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/public-registers/documents/Google%20Fitbit%20-%20Statement%20of%20Issues%20-%2018%20June%202020.pdf">Google is not bound</a> by its commitment to not use the data in its advertising businesses. As the competition watchdog’s <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/digital-takeovers-transactions-may-harm-consumers">Chair Rod Sims</a> said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It is a stretch to believe any commitment Google makes in relation to Fitbit users’ data will still be in place five years from now.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>When Google acquired online advertising business DoubleClick, it reassured users it <a href="https://slate.com/technology/2016/10/google-changed-a-major-privacy-policy-and-no-one-really-noticed.html">would only combine personal data</a> from the two businesses if users opted into this combination. Eight years later, <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Digital%20platforms%20inquiry%20-%20final%20report.pdf">Google simply deleted this promise</a> from its privacy policy. </p>
<p>It’s also worth noting Google has not promised to refrain from using Fitbit data in its <em>non-advertising</em> businesses. This could include <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/50e1f042-06f3-11ea-a984-fbbacad9e7dd">health services</a> or, in future, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/b7b3b08a-d4a3-11e9-8d46-8def889b4137">health or life insurance</a>. Google would not need to “sell” your data to use it for these commercial purposes.</p>
<h2>Google’s huge data advantage</h2>
<p>Google already has the most extensive collection of consumer data on the planet. This includes data from Google search, YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Nest, Android and Google devices – as well as consumer data collected from millions of third-party websites using Google’s services such as Google Analytics, Google Ads and reCAPTCHA. </p>
<p>The ACCC acknowledges Google already uses its pervasive data collection to create <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/public-registers/documents/Google%20Fitbit%20-%20Statement%20of%20Issues%20-%2018%20June%202020.pdf">unique profiles of individual users</a>. It points out acquiring Fitbit would give Google “one of the largest and most detailed existing fitness and health datasets, as well as another avenue through which it can continue to gather consumer data”. </p>
<p>The ACCC is particularly concerned the proposed acquisition could substantially reduce competition between Fitbit, Google and others in “data-dependent health services” such as those supplying: </p>
<ul>
<li>tailored digital advice based on individual health signals to users of Fitbit and other wearables on how to improve their health or manage a medical condition</li>
<li>insights to insurance companies or employers wishing to compile risk profiles, reduce costs or enhance productivity </li>
<li>diagnostic tools for medical institutions and doctors to determine early indicators of chronic disease and</li>
<li>insights or raw data for health researchers. </li>
</ul>
<p>If Google acquires Fitbit’s user data, it could gain a significant advantage over other suppliers of these services and prevent them from accessing the dataset. </p>
<p>According to the ACCC, it could also have an incentive hinder rivals such as Apple, Samsung and Garmin, by removing their access to Google Maps, Google Play Store and Wear OS (a Google operating system for wearables).</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/amazon-facebook-and-google-dont-need-to-spy-on-your-conversations-to-know-what-youre-talking-about-108792">Amazon, Facebook and Google don't need to spy on your conversations to know what you're talking about</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Entrenching Google’s power in digital advertising</h2>
<p>Google makes most of its annual revenue (more than US$100 billion) from online advertising services. Privacy advocates have <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3587239">criticised the ad tech industry</a>, including dominant players like Google and Facebook, for creating a “<a href="https://medium.com/clearcode/taming-the-wild-west-of-consumer-data-sharing-in-adtech-b3cab26adbe8">data free for all</a>” where consumers’ intimate information is exchanged between hundreds of companies engaged in targeted advertising.</p>
<p>The ACCC says it is concerned that by acquiring Fitbit’s datasets, Google could entrench its market power in certain ad tech markets. For example, it could “even more effectively target advertising to consumers with health-related issues”. </p>
<h2>What can the ACCC actually do about it?</h2>
<p>The ACCC plans to announce its final stance by mid-August on whether Google’s merger with Fitbit would contravene Australia’s competition legislation. If it decides the merger is likely to substantially lessen competition, it could seek orders from the Federal Court to prevent the merger.</p>
<p>But practically speaking, regulators will likely try to coordinate their response internationally, with the overall outcome decided in larger markets such as the United States and European Union. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/technology/articles/2020-06-16/eu-antitrust-regulators-set-july-20-deadline-for-google-fitbit-deal">European Commission</a> is expected to release its ruling in July. And past <a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/1096891.html">events indicate</a> the commission could impose conditions, or prevent the merger going ahead internationally – even if the US Department of Justice gives it the green light.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/141052/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katharine Kemp receives funding from The Allens Hub for Technology, Law and Innovation. She is a Member of the Advisory Board of the Future of Finance Initiative in India, the Centre for Law, Markets & Regulation and the Australian Privacy Foundation.</span></em></p>The watchdog has voiced concerns over the proposed US$2.1 billion merger, from which both users and Australian health services could lose out.Katharine Kemp, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, UNSW, and Academic Lead, UNSW Grand Challenge on Trust, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1285852020-01-15T13:54:52Z2020-01-15T13:54:52ZWhy fitness trackers may not give you all the ‘credit’ you hoped for<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/310080/original/file-20200114-93792-nu0yk9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=144%2C99%2C5862%2C3539&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Wearable fitness trackers have less accuracy when used in certain ways.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/female-athlete-royalty-free-image/943022276?adppopup=true">bogdankosanovic/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>January is a time when many people make resolutions – and then break them. <a href="https://www.apaservices.org/practice/update/2012/02-23/willpower">Almost 60% of Americans will resolve to exercise more</a>, but <a href="https://advanced-hindsight.com/blog/a-new-years-resolution-for-you-exercise-for-pleasure-and-enjoyment/">fewer than 10% will stick with their resolution</a>. A key to keeping resolutions is ensuring they are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/guides/smarterliving/resolution-ideas">measurable</a>, and a simple way to track activity is through <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/paullamkin/2018/10/23/smart-wearables-market-to-double-by-2022-27-billion-industry-forecast/#596130522656">a wearable smartwatch or fitness tracker</a>. Indeed, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189298">almost one in five adults has used a fitness tracker</a>.</p>
<p>Wearable fitness trackers can also help improve medical care by providing insights into physical activity, heart rate, location and sleep patterns. My <a href="https://wphomes.soic.indiana.edu/ksiek/">research team</a> uses wearable fitness tracker data with smart home sensors to help <a href="https://crihomeshare.wordpress.com/">older adults live safely and independently</a>. We also study wearable fitness tracker data along with electronic medical records and genomic data to <a href="https://precisionhealth.iu.edu/current-studies/hoosier-moms.html">investigate the causes of gestational diabetes</a>. Many <a href="https://allofus.nih.gov/news-events-and-media/announcements/all-us-research-program-expands-data-collection-efforts-fitbit">other researchers</a> utilize wearable fitness trackers to better understand how lifestyles can impact health.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I’ve found in my health informatics research that wearable devices may not give all the credit their users deserve, and in some cases, users may want to consider how secure and private their data is.</p>
<h2>Giving credit when it’s due</h2>
<p>People who use fitness trackers have been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/1124772.1124840">frustrated with how they get “credit” for their activities</a>, which drives some users to <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1145/2750858.2807554">abandon fitness trackers</a>. In my research team’s work, we find that people who have limited arm movement report that fitness trackers are not accurately recording their activities. This can happen as well with those who do not have traditional gaits because they may shuffle.</p>
<p>The lack of credit is especially obvious when people are walking but keeping their arms still – such as pushing a stroller or walking while holding an infant. New mothers also report accuracy issues with respect to their sleep patterns. When they wake up multiple times a night, the next morning the device will show them as “lightly sleeping.” This is frustrating when the new mother wants to use this data to negotiate with her partner on child care because a device may credit the mother with more sleep than she actually gets. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/310068/original/file-20200114-151829-14mw9d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/310068/original/file-20200114-151829-14mw9d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310068/original/file-20200114-151829-14mw9d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310068/original/file-20200114-151829-14mw9d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310068/original/file-20200114-151829-14mw9d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310068/original/file-20200114-151829-14mw9d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310068/original/file-20200114-151829-14mw9d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Were you ‘lightly sleeping’ or did you wake up multiple times?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">fizkes/iStock via Getty Images</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These inaccuracies make sense from a technical point of view. When people keep their wrists still, as in pushing a stroller, the wrist is not changing directions. Thus, the software cannot detect changes in movement from the accelerometer sensor on a wrist tracker which is looking for changes in up-down, forward-backward and side-to-side movements. Researchers have also shown that <a href="https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3025690">500 or fewer steps can be recorded without wearing the device</a>, reflecting how devices can over count activity sometimes. In the case of detecting sleep, most people do not wake up multiple times a night, so the algorithms used by wearable devices may throw these short bursts of movement away. </p>
<p>The companies that make these wearable devices have significant intellectual property involved in detecting these movements and then using algorithms to decide how much people are moving or sleeping, so these algorithms are not shared publicly. There currently do not exist any mechanisms to give feedback on what was detected. Imagine if a person could push a button and tell a wearable fitness device, “I did wake up three times tonight!”</p>
<p>Since people are not getting the credit they deserve for some of their activities, I am concerned about what type of lifestyle data we researchers can accurately assess from a commodity wearable for our health research. In computing, there is a saying, “Garbage in, garbage out.” If wearable fitness trackers are putting inaccurate step and sleep data into the algorithms that quantify our activities, then people will be making health-related decisions based on inaccurate data.</p>
<h2>Who has the data?</h2>
<p>Typically, consumers assess how much “credit” they are getting from a fitness tracker by transferring the data to an app. Most people likely assume that when people transfer the data to the app, the data is not shared widely. Users may assume, for instance, that they can see the data, people they shared data with can view it and the company who has the device and app can see the data. But this is only part of the story.</p>
<p>A company, however, could change its terms of service – which, studies have shown, <a href="https://cmci.colorado.edu/%7Ecafi5706/CSCW2016_Fiesler.pdf">people have difficulty understanding</a> – and decide to make this health data available to third parties. For example, wearable fitness data could be sold to help our employers understand our <a href="https://www.wsj.com/graphics/company-tracking-employees/">fitness and productivity</a> or <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-your-fitbit-data-be-used-to-deny-you-health-insurance-72565">insurance companies to assist with or deny health coverage</a>. Although there’s no evidence of this practice being done, I believe consumers would do well to be aware that it is a possibility in the future. </p>
<p>[ <em>You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=youresmart">You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128585/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katie Siek receives funding from Indiana University Precision Health Initiative. </span></em></p>A health informatics researcher explains why people don’t always get the ‘credit’ they think they should from using wearable fitness trackers.Katie Siek, Associate Professor of Informatics, Indiana UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1216632019-08-22T11:14:51Z2019-08-22T11:14:51ZFitness trackers and eating disorders – is there a link?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288585/original/file-20190819-123710-12kcvaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-tourist-looking-fitness-bracelet-on-1018256575?src=wKn3IVG21d3xaKI36t0t4Q-1-11">nelen/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Fitness and health tracking devices are becoming <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/610433/wearable-healthcare-device-revenue-worldwide/">increasingly popular</a> and a huge variety of wearable tech and apps now exist. Indeed, many <a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-isnt-causing-more-eating-disorders-in-young-people-new-study-119959">smartphones</a> and smart watches now come primed and ready to track our activity, sleep and nutrition.</p>
<p><a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1982-26944-001">Research has</a> for a long time highlighted how monitoring behaviours can help to lead to positive changes in our lifestyles. It can be an effective way to help increase <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5370453/">physical activity, and to achieve weight loss</a>. </p>
<p>But monitoring physical activity and food intake may not be useful for everyone. Indeed, people with <a href="https://theconversation.com/understanding-body-signals-could-be-a-key-factor-in-eating-disorders-111559">eating disorders</a> often have unhealthy relationships with food and exercise. Obsessive behaviours such as calorie counting, rigid, driven exercise and unhealthy perfectionism are common among those with eating issues. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/anorexia-is-an-illness-not-something-we-can-simply-blame-on-the-media-39954">Anorexia is an illness – not something we can simply blame on the media</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>A small body of research has started to explore how fitness trackers and calorie counting apps <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/do-fitness-trackers-have-an-impact-on-eating-disorders">might be linked to disordered eating</a> and exercise. Higher levels of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07448481.2018.1431905?journalCode=vach20">body dissatisfaction</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471015316303646?via%3Dihub">disordered eating</a> have been identified among those who use tracking tools, compared to those who do not. And many patients with eating disorders report using calorie counting tools such as <a href="https://www.myfitnesspal.com/">MyFitnessPal</a>. And these tools have been identified as having a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471015317301484?via%3Dihub">negative impact</a> on their eating disorder symptoms. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-48842898">App creators say</a> “they promote healthy lifestyles, and safeguards [are] in place to deter those wishing to pursue harmful habits.” MyFitnessPal, for example, includes <a href="https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1575987-eating-disorder-resources">resources on eating disorders</a> on their website and has previously <a href="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/myfitnesspal-empowered-beat-eating-disorder/">published blog posts</a> claiming the app can help people to recover from eating disorders. But out research seems to indicate otherwise.</p>
<h2>The rise of wearables</h2>
<p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/eat.22966">In a recent study</a>, we explored the broader mental health and well-being of users of fitness and food intake monitoring tools. We also tried to understand why people used such devices. </p>
<p>In our sample of young people, 65% of them reported currently using a fitness or food intake tracking device. Those using devices reported higher levels of both disordered eating and compulsive exercise than non-users. Those who tracked their activity or food intake primarily to manage their weight or shape (as opposed to health or fitness related reasons) and who used the devices frequently showed the highest levels of disordered eating and exercise. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288586/original/file-20190819-123710-1yv28qd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288586/original/file-20190819-123710-1yv28qd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288586/original/file-20190819-123710-1yv28qd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288586/original/file-20190819-123710-1yv28qd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288586/original/file-20190819-123710-1yv28qd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288586/original/file-20190819-123710-1yv28qd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288586/original/file-20190819-123710-1yv28qd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Calorie counting apps have been accused of exacerbating unhealthy food behaviours.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-using-calorie-counter-application-on-343475045?src=R5zlL4iQokqKXwg_YQuHWw-1-0">Shutterstock/Dragon Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Eating disorders are incredibly complex and are caused by many different interacting factors. It would be overly simplistic to suggest that tracking of eating and exercise behaviours could cause an eating disorder. </p>
<p>But monitoring activity and food intake could inadvertently validate disordered eating and exercise attitudes and behaviours among vulnerable people. And the pressure from devices to be constantly active, and to meet revised, increasing step targets could exacerbate obsessive and self-critical tendencies. </p>
<h2>Quit the counting</h2>
<p>It’s likely though that many people’s feelings towards, and use of, tracking devices changes over time. <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(16)30284-4/fulltext">Recent evidence</a>, for example, has indicated that just 10% of people will continue to use their fitness tracker beyond 12 months, even when there is an incentive to do so. While the reasons behind this drop off are unclear, it’s possible that the devices induce feelings of guilt or shame when one fails to reach goals or make progress. A shift in attitudes from “wanting” to exercise to “having” to exercise may be a sign that the relationship with the tracker has gone sour, and potentially indicate an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.1122">increased vulnerability</a> to disordered eating. </p>
<p>It’s clear then that further research is needed to clearly identify whether tracking devices may be helpful or harmful for certain individuals. Indeed, it may be pertinent for companies developing such technologies to work alongside eating disorder professionals to develop and provide appropriate signposting and support via their devices. </p>
<p>In the meantime, it’s important to think about how often we’re using tracking tools – and our reasons for doing so. Indeed, it’s important to be able to enjoy a walk, run, swim or cycle without worrying about the pace, distance or calories burned.</p>
<p>So next time you’re taking part in some exercise, instead of worrying about how many miles you’ve done, maybe just try to take the time to enjoy your activity and your surroundings – as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935118303323">research shows</a> being outdoors can, in and of itself, have a positive impact on your long-term health and well-being.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>If you’re worried about your relationship with food or activity, then you can contact your GP or the <a href="https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/">UK Eating Disorders Charity</a> for further advice and support.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121663/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carolyn Plateau does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A small body of research has started to explore how fitness trackers and calorie counting apps might be linked to disordered eating and exercise.Carolyn Plateau, Lecturer in Psychology, Loughborough UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/908802018-01-31T14:46:18Z2018-01-31T14:46:18ZStrava storm: why everyone should check their smart gear security settings before going for a jog<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/204224/original/file-20180131-131717-1348a3p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://labs.strava.com/">Strava</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Fitness tracking app Strava recently kicked off a privacy and security storm after it was <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42853072">revealed</a> that its software had potentially exposed the location of secret military bases, courtesy of a data visualisation tool called a “heatmap”. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://labs.strava.com/heatmap/">heatmap</a> was created to depict the activities of Strava users across the globe. But while it’s a great idea in general (and quite a nice heatmap), a closer inspection of the user data generated by the tool highlights some worrying developments. </p>
<p>It’s also a reality check for consumers of wearable gadgets – be they a National Security Agency operative or a retired librarian going for a gentle jog – who are lax with the privacy and security settings on apps that monitor location and other personal data. </p>
<p>Nathan Ruser, a <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2018/01/29/technology/strava-nathan-ruser/index.html">20-year-old student based in Australia</a>, pored over Strava’s heatmap and <a href="https://twitter.com/Nrg8000/status/957318498102865920">tweeted</a> his findings, saying that the “pretty” data visualisation tool – which mapped 13 trillion GPS points from the app’s users – wasn’t “amazing for op-sec [operations security]. US bases are clearly identifiable and mappable.” </p>
<p>By publishing the <a href="https://medium.com/strava-engineering/the-global-heatmap-now-6x-hotter-23fc01d301de">heatmap of Strava users’ activities</a> and their locations, the San Francisco-based company had seemingly leaked the location of secret bases and routes service personnel use for exercise. </p>
<h2>Don’t be dumb about smart tech</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-internet-of-things-16542">Internet of Things (IoT)</a> represents a new advancement in technology that harnesses data to help streamline our lives. The simplest way to think of the IoT is as a network of devices and objects with embedded electronics – deemed “smart” – that communicate to perform various tasks.</p>
<p>IoT technologies enable voice commands to control appliances such as lights, TVs and even <a href="https://www.yale.co.uk/en/yale/couk/news/2017/articles/alexa-lock-my-lock-yale-partners-with-amazon-alexa-via-samsung-smartthings/">door locks</a>. At work, <a href="https://www.intel.co.uk/content/www/uk/en/internet-of-things/videos/smart-office-building-video.html">smart office buildings</a> offer significant promise for handling controls such as energy saving options and may soon become ubiquitous. And, on the move, wearable technologies such as fitness trackers and smart watches allow people to track and monitor their exercise regimes.</p>
<p>But there are clear security and privacy concerns associated with using these different forms of new technology. And there’s a danger that consumers – egged on by digital companies whose income heavily relies on data sharing – jump too quickly at the convenience of new personal tech without understanding the risks.</p>
<p>In research circles, the risks accompanying IoT technology – including data leakage via consumer wearables – have been known for some time now. One of the earliest comprehensive reports on the topic – from cyber security firm <a href="http://www.symantec.com/content/en/us/enterprise/media/security_response/whitepapers/how-safe-is-your-quantified-self.pdf">Symantec</a> – linked wearables and other tracking devices to risks including identity theft, profiling and stalking users. </p>
<p>If a criminal accesses someone’s real-time online fitness tracker data (be it from Strava, FitBit or a smart watch) they could determine that person’s whereabouts – in and out of work and home. Oversharing on social media has been <a href="https://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/files/8375/xrds2015_nurse_final_author.pdf">a problem for many years</a> as it can lead to crime <a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-and-crime-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-66397">online</a> and in the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8789538/Most-burglars-using-Facebook-and-Twitter-to-target-victims-survey-suggests.html">physical world</a>.</p>
<p>It gets worse. Recently, we conducted <a href="http://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/files/9439/2017-ccs-mps-ang-author-final.pdf">research</a> on this topic, to investigate the potential dangers facing users when they share data from fitness trackers and social media.</p>
<p>We found that if a criminal or an organisation were able to combine data fragments gathered from a tracker and a social media profile, then users faced significant privacy risks. </p>
<p>These include financial loss (home burglary based on the knowledge of user location and address) and targeted profiling by marketing companies or even potential employers, who habitually <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-rise-of-wearable-tech-to-monitor-employees-is-worrying-70719">screen candidates based on their online profiles</a>.</p>
<h2>Chairman of the bored</h2>
<p>When speaking to users about these risks, we discovered their general awareness was quite low. The study confirmed other <a href="https://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/files/9213/2017-pst-wnc-preprint.pdf">research</a> that we have recently conducted where – to some users – “privacy is the boring bit” of using smart technologies. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/204229/original/file-20180131-131741-72vj5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/204229/original/file-20180131-131741-72vj5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/204229/original/file-20180131-131741-72vj5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/204229/original/file-20180131-131741-72vj5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/204229/original/file-20180131-131741-72vj5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/204229/original/file-20180131-131741-72vj5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/204229/original/file-20180131-131741-72vj5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Strava brouhaha is a wake-up call for users of smart apps that track a person’s every move.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bath-uk-august-31-2015-closeup-686602303?src=Hi8cDkU0HzHLj2iSPssTzw-1-2">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Strava incident, while important, is the <a href="https://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/files/7825/SIoT2015-neagc-preprint.pdf">tip of the iceberg</a> when it comes to risks associated with the use of personal IoT technology in the workplace. For instance, an employee with a malware-infected smart device could then connect it to their employer’s network. </p>
<p>While organisations are largely prepared for this type of risk if it originates from a personal laptop, it’s a different issue with wearable devices – which are now being <a href="https://www.kaspersky.com/about/press-releases/2017_amount-of-malware-targeting-smart-devices-more-than-doubled-in-2017">heavily targeted</a> by malware miscreants. </p>
<p>The discrete nature of wearables presents another problem: they are typically paired with a secondary device and are more likely for that reason to avoid security measures, where checks are only conducted if a device is directly connected to the corporate network. Another real problem is that <a href="https://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/files/7825/SIoT2015-neagc-preprint.pdf">malicious employees</a> seeking to harm their organisation may use IoT technology for nefarious means, such as stealing intellectual property, or using hidden devices to inconspicuously record private office conversations.</p>
<p>The Strava episode is a stark reminder that as technology becomes smarter, it poses significant risks to people’s home, work and social lives if not properly considered, discussed and addressed. Privacy and security settings are there for a reason: use them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/90880/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jason R. C. Nurse receives funding from The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). </span></em></p>Revelations about the fitness app have turned up the heat on the privacy and security risks of wearables.Jason R.C. Nurse, Senior Researcher in Cyber Security, University of OxfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.