Image supplied by HapiFork

‘The Quantified Self’ or ‘The Connected Self’ are terms heard floating around the digital health circles.  From upgraded sleep and stress trackers to creative devices like the HAPIFork that lets you know when you’re eating too fast – technology is empowering consumers to self monitor their well-being rather than relying on a trip to the doctor.

In the US where it is estimated over 25 million Americans suffer from diabetes or the UK where obesity rates have nearly quadrupled in the last 25 years, health costs are skyrocketing without the funds to support it. While most health care is spent on treating long-term illness, why not put time and money into preventative care?

Walter De Brouwer, CEO of Scanadu, said at this year’s Consumer and Electronics Show (CES), “People want to be empowered. They don’t want to be treated like children by the government or institutions.” Hence, the evolution of the term ‘the Quantified Self’ quoted by TechCrunch reporter Matt Burns. In his pre-show write-up, he noted this year’s CES was the first year major companies like Microsoft would not be present nor leading the way in innovation. Instead, smaller start-ups would be showing off more affordable, game-changing gadgets soon to change the way we think of health as we know it today.

In reading over many of the gadget reviews from CES, I found five that exemplified the vanguard Burns was referring to.    Continue reading →