Two weeks ago we discussed ActivityTrackers, primarily those worn on the wrist.  They're FitBit, or Vivofit or FitBit or Jawbone. Monitoring movement, like walking and flopping in your sleep, these magically synch with your computer to provide daily with stats, just like the pros.  

We all know we need to move more.  But can tracking can help?  A report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 60 percent of American adults track their diet, exercise and overall fitness.  Impressive.  However, half of these people tracked the data "in their minds", rather than a data point on a screen.  For many of us, we track not by a device but by the fit of our skinny jeans.  If they're fitting a slightly too tight, it indicates a bit too many scoops of Three Twins Salted Caramel ice cream.  But what about activity?  It's not clear that the trackers are helping us exercise more. The New York Times reported that no long-term peer reviewed study has shown that people using the trackers become and remain more active.  

Are the trackers accurate?  They do a really good job at tracking forward movement, like walking or jogging and according to some high-falutin testing, they accurately determine energy consumption.  But, that's about it.  The trackers were developed to monitor easy to measure activities, like brisk walking or jogging.  They do not measure the rest of our activities, like hot, sweaty yoga or rough-housing with your pooch, or planting your heirloom tomatoes with seeds from the Petaluma Seed Bank. 

It doesn't feel like much of a concern, but the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the devices nor does anyone review their accuracy.  Personally, I'd like to think the FDA worries about more pressing matters like the deceptive labeling on energy drinks, BPA in our bottles, and azodicarbonamide in our cereal and bread(1).