HUFFPOST – If you don’t yet wear a smartwatch or smart ring to monitor your health and fitness, you may soon be encouraged to do so by some of the highest-ranking members of the government.
During a House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he’d like all Americans to use wearable health products, such as Fitbits, Apple Watches, Oura Rings, WHOOP and glucose monitors, to “control” their health and “take responsibility” for it.
According to Poltico, Kennedy said people can use wearables to track “what food is doing to their glucose levels, their heart rates and a number of other metrics as they eat it, and they can begin to make good judgments about their diet, about their physical activity, about the way that they live their lives.”
While this remains just a suggestion and not a mandate, it’s been announced that the Department of Health and Human Services will launch a campaign to encourage Americans to wear these devices.
Wearables can track your heart rate, menstrual cycle, fitness regimen, blood sugar levels, sleep patterns, location and more.
They’re a great way to understand your health (for example, the Oura Ring lets you know when it thinks you’re getting sick) and to stick to a workout regimen (the Apple Watch is both loved and hated for its “close your rings” reminders).
While they can be helpful for the average person, these devices store lots and lots of our data — is it safe for all of this information to be out there? And what happens if this data ends up in the wrong hands — including the government’s? Experts weigh in.
First, know that no one has said the government will actually collect this health data …
