24 ms·

Once we start seeing reliable metrics for other common vitals, I'm optimistic we'll see massive benefits from data insights. With a large enough sample size and

by eroo 12y ago

Once we start seeing reliable metrics for other common vitals, I'm optimistic we'll see massive benefits from data insights. With a large enough sample size and the right vitals, I'm hopeful we can find highly correlated early predictors of some massive events: e.g., does 20 minutes before a heart attack have a reliable signature? Is there any boilerplate legalese for open sourcing that kind of data?

bluedino 12y ago
I can't wait for a device that can measure how many calories you've eaten. The possibilities for that would be endless. Beeping after you've hit your goal/limit for the day?
- evanlivingston 12y ago
  I tend to just pay attention roughly to what I eat, and not eat foods that are generally bad for me/empty calories. However on some days I'll consume twice the amount of "recommended daily calories" for an adult my size. Yet I remain an 140lb adult male. There are no hard/fast rules for calorie consumption, and I don't believe a calorie counter will help. In-fact, it is the precise quantification of food that leads to poor diets/eating habits. EDIT: My fear is that focusing on only a small part of nutrition will further harm the nutrition of individuals. If we place too much attention on calories other things can be overlooked such as vital fats and acids or minerals. I'm trying to make the case that increased awareness and education of food and the human diet/nutrition is more important than counting calories. As someone points out below, there are many situations where calories are not labeled. In my case, I'm aware of what food is decent, and what food is junk and this allows me to forgo strict quantification of the food I consume. I know that food from most food chains is generally junk. This extends beyond the nutrition of the food as well. Food chains typically source their food from the cheapest distributors, and these are often the same distributors that end up distributing massive quantities of contaminated foods. Here's another case. I could potentially consume 5 sodas in a single day and remain under my caloric restriction, but I would have consumed a ton of empty calories. A calorie monitor is not able to help in this case, but my own awareness of health and nutrition keeps me from doing this. The issue of health is far larger simple quantification of a few metrics. It is within any individuals ability to determine for themselves general effects of the food they are consuming. For some of the best arguments contrary to my own: http://www.foodpolitics.com/tag/calorie-labeling/ http://www.foodpolitics.com/tag/calorie-labeling/
  - bluedino 12y ago
    >> However on some days I'll consume twice the amount of "recommended daily calories" for an adult my size. Yet I remain an 140lb adult male. That's the thing - some days. People who are overweight generally do it every day. And I'll also assume you're ~ 25 years old and your metabolism hasn't started slowing down yet.
    - evanlivingston 12y ago
      I think obese and many overweight people are aware that they consume more food than the average person. What is the obese person going to do at 6pm when they've received the notification that they've consumed too many calories? There are much larger issues than calorie counting that cause 2/3 of the U.S to be overweight. Agricultural corn subsidies for starters, a defunct FDA, poor education, lack of strong culinary traditions and a lack of preventative healthcare all play into a massive amount of people being overweight.
      - olefoo 12y ago
        Not to mention a culture that encourages people to spend money on things that allow them to live a sedentary lifestyle. If you drive to work, take the elevator, sit in front of a computer all day and then watch television to relax... then; duh. You're gonna be chubby, even if you only eat organic salads from Whole Paycheck. If you walk or bike for local trips, stand or take frequent stretch breaks while at work, always take the stairs and garden in the evenings you're going to much more fit even if taquitos are a food group as far as you're concerned. Habits are the key. Figure out how to shift your default behaviours and you will effect change.
    - Dewie 12y ago
      > And I'll also assume you're ~ 25 years old and your metabolism hasn't started slowing down yet. Would his age tell you much, really? I know people who are frustrated that they can't gain weight. Me, on the other hand, feel that I can't eat snacks, desserts etc. or other 'empty calories' without gaining weight. And that's been the case since I was 20, or my teens.
- angdis 12y ago
  There is actually a new company, Proteus (http://www.proteus.com/ http://www.proteus.com/), which has addressed a similar problem. Basically, they've developed a way to make a drug pill "smart" by embedding a tiny disposable transmitter in the pill. It uses stomach acid to create an "in-situ" battery and then transmits a unique ID to a receiver patch worn by the patient. Something like this perhaps could scale in the future if we could "pepper" FOOD with such nanotransmitters (eg a populate a food item with a certain density of transmitters to indicate calories).
- mvanvoorden 12y ago
  If you eat the right food, you don't need to count any calories and can just eat until you had enough. I start my day by drinking a cup of coffee with 60-70 grams of grass-fed butter (Bulletproof Coffee) and it made me lose 15 kilo's over the last year. It puts your body into 'fat-burning mode' and I found out by experience it's true. Also, I drink no more soda or fruit juices, and limit my overall sugar intake to barely nothing (but still I will never say no to any offered pie/cookies/chocolate at social gatherings). Oh and I lost weight and got more energy without exercising any more than I did (which is close to nothing). Do away with light or low fat products, especially margarine, and embrace bacon and grass-fed meat. Make about 60% of your food-intake be fat, 20% veggies and 20% protein, and limit carbs like potatoes to once a week, and you will never have to count any calories again. For info, I advise to look up Bulletproof diet, and you don't have to buy any of the products/books offered, on the website is also explained for free what to look for if you don't feel like spending any money on his overpriced products :)
- joelrunyon 12y ago
  A better approach is to stop counting calories altogether and realize that by simply focusing on calories rather than how your body processes & utilizes food is a completely outdated way of looking at nutrition.
JshWright 12y ago
e.g., does 20 minutes before a heart attack have a reliable signature? No. It depends on what causes the heart attack, but it's generally either a clot that dislodges from somewhere else and lodges in a coronary artery, or a new clot that forms suddenly. Neither of those events could be predicted (other than the general prediction of risk factors). For that matter, it also depends on what event you consider the 'heart attack'. Is it the occlusion of blood flow, or the resulting ischemia? There will be a time lag between those as well. Detecting a heart attack shortly _after_ it occurred would also be useful, and likely much easier to do (detect cardiac enzymes, etc).

by eroo 12y ago

bluedino 12y ago

I can't wait for a device that can measure how many calories you've eaten. The possibilities for that would be endless. Beeping after you've hit your goal/limit for the day?

evanlivingston 12y ago
I tend to just pay attention roughly to what I eat, and not eat foods that are generally bad for me/empty calories. However on some days I'll consume twice the amount of "recommended daily calories" for an adult my size. Yet I remain an 140lb adult male. There are no hard/fast rules for calorie consumption, and I don't believe a calorie counter will help. In-fact, it is the precise quantification of food that leads to poor diets/eating habits. EDIT: My fear is that focusing on only a small part of nutrition will further harm the nutrition of individuals. If we place too much attention on calories other things can be overlooked such as vital fats and acids or minerals. I'm trying to make the case that increased awareness and education of food and the human diet/nutrition is more important than counting calories. As someone points out below, there are many situations where calories are not labeled. In my case, I'm aware of what food is decent, and what food is junk and this allows me to forgo strict quantification of the food I consume. I know that food from most food chains is generally junk. This extends beyond the nutrition of the food as well. Food chains typically source their food from the cheapest distributors, and these are often the same distributors that end up distributing massive quantities of contaminated foods. Here's another case. I could potentially consume 5 sodas in a single day and remain under my caloric restriction, but I would have consumed a ton of empty calories. A calorie monitor is not able to help in this case, but my own awareness of health and nutrition keeps me from doing this. The issue of health is far larger simple quantification of a few metrics. It is within any individuals ability to determine for themselves general effects of the food they are consuming. For some of the best arguments contrary to my own: http://www.foodpolitics.com/tag/calorie-labeling/ http://www.foodpolitics.com/tag/calorie-labeling/
- bluedino 12y ago
  >> However on some days I'll consume twice the amount of "recommended daily calories" for an adult my size. Yet I remain an 140lb adult male. That's the thing - some days. People who are overweight generally do it every day. And I'll also assume you're ~ 25 years old and your metabolism hasn't started slowing down yet.
  - evanlivingston 12y ago
    I think obese and many overweight people are aware that they consume more food than the average person. What is the obese person going to do at 6pm when they've received the notification that they've consumed too many calories? There are much larger issues than calorie counting that cause 2/3 of the U.S to be overweight. Agricultural corn subsidies for starters, a defunct FDA, poor education, lack of strong culinary traditions and a lack of preventative healthcare all play into a massive amount of people being overweight.
    - olefoo 12y ago
      Not to mention a culture that encourages people to spend money on things that allow them to live a sedentary lifestyle. If you drive to work, take the elevator, sit in front of a computer all day and then watch television to relax... then; duh. You're gonna be chubby, even if you only eat organic salads from Whole Paycheck. If you walk or bike for local trips, stand or take frequent stretch breaks while at work, always take the stairs and garden in the evenings you're going to much more fit even if taquitos are a food group as far as you're concerned. Habits are the key. Figure out how to shift your default behaviours and you will effect change.
  - Dewie 12y ago
    > And I'll also assume you're ~ 25 years old and your metabolism hasn't started slowing down yet. Would his age tell you much, really? I know people who are frustrated that they can't gain weight. Me, on the other hand, feel that I can't eat snacks, desserts etc. or other 'empty calories' without gaining weight. And that's been the case since I was 20, or my teens.
angdis 12y ago
There is actually a new company, Proteus (http://www.proteus.com/ http://www.proteus.com/), which has addressed a similar problem. Basically, they've developed a way to make a drug pill "smart" by embedding a tiny disposable transmitter in the pill. It uses stomach acid to create an "in-situ" battery and then transmits a unique ID to a receiver patch worn by the patient. Something like this perhaps could scale in the future if we could "pepper" FOOD with such nanotransmitters (eg a populate a food item with a certain density of transmitters to indicate calories).
mvanvoorden 12y ago
If you eat the right food, you don't need to count any calories and can just eat until you had enough. I start my day by drinking a cup of coffee with 60-70 grams of grass-fed butter (Bulletproof Coffee) and it made me lose 15 kilo's over the last year. It puts your body into 'fat-burning mode' and I found out by experience it's true. Also, I drink no more soda or fruit juices, and limit my overall sugar intake to barely nothing (but still I will never say no to any offered pie/cookies/chocolate at social gatherings). Oh and I lost weight and got more energy without exercising any more than I did (which is close to nothing). Do away with light or low fat products, especially margarine, and embrace bacon and grass-fed meat. Make about 60% of your food-intake be fat, 20% veggies and 20% protein, and limit carbs like potatoes to once a week, and you will never have to count any calories again. For info, I advise to look up Bulletproof diet, and you don't have to buy any of the products/books offered, on the website is also explained for free what to look for if you don't feel like spending any money on his overpriced products :)
joelrunyon 12y ago
A better approach is to stop counting calories altogether and realize that by simply focusing on calories rather than how your body processes & utilizes food is a completely outdated way of looking at nutrition.

JshWright 12y ago

e.g., does 20 minutes before a heart attack have a reliable signature? No. It depends on what causes the heart attack, but it's generally either a clot that dislodges from somewhere else and lodges in a coronary artery, or a new clot that forms suddenly. Neither of those events could be predicted (other than the general prediction of risk factors). For that matter, it also depends on what event you consider the 'heart attack'. Is it the occlusion of blood flow, or the resulting ischemia? There will be a time lag between those as well. Detecting a heart attack shortly _after_ it occurred would also be useful, and likely much easier to do (detect cardiac enzymes, etc).