The Witness Of Fitness: Health Apps Want Your Hot Body (Of Data)

Do you have a smartphone, smartwatch, or otherwise e-enabled device that you use to keep track of your health and fitness habits?  That's good, in the sense that you care enough about yourself to hopefully not totally devolve into a donut-demolishing dumpster.  It's bad, however, that all of your fitness data might not just be kept solely between you and your get-buff gadgetry.

"Sweet, I just beat my best 5K time!
But what's with all these ads to join the army?"
(Image courtesy lifefitness.com.)

According to Mens' Health magazine, 58% of smartphone users have some form of fitness app installed.  Some 81% of those apps have no privacy policy whatsoever.  That means that any number of interlopers from the health and fitness industry (or worse) could be dipping into your microchips for more ways to figure out how to escalate their multi-billion dollar empire.  Do you prefer biking to running?  Gyms to home workouts?  Do you shop at certain health food stores, run certain routes, patronize certain compression sock companies?  All of this ends up informing the larger corporate collective.

We live in a world where even your new athletic socks can snitch on you.
(Image courtesy wanelo.com.)

Worse, with 70% of Americans classified as overweight or obese, there are many ways that our data can be used to lead us further into temptation.  Do you go to a gym in a strip mall?  The other businesses might send out some chain-restaurant coupons singing the siren song of sugars and salt.  Do the recent data trends indicate that people are laying off visits to McDonalds?  Better escalate the ads for Shamrock Shakes!

We're so sorry to have to show you these tragic stats, though yes,
it is fucking totally rarely and deliciously worth the extra hour in the gym.
(Image courtesy chiabia.com.)

While some apps may ask for your permission to share data, openly admit to sharing your data, or at least hold off on talking about you if you're underage, it's worth keeping an eye on various health apps' privacy policies as much as it is keeping track of your own fitness.  In a way, maintaining your privacy is a form of fitness unto itself.

And remember, you can still get fit sans any tech devices.
Just imagine your favorite apocalypse scenario, and train to survive it!
(Image courtesy plus.google.com.)