Friday, June 27, 2025

Wearables and JFKjr

I'm no expert on data collection, privacy, or health, but I think this is the dumbest idea ever to come out of the Trump Administration. Every American should be required to measure their health with a wearable? Or maybe, it means you can't take the Democrat out of a Kennedy even if he's a Republican appointed cabinet member. I have no problem with wearables if people choose them, but I've seen a lot of very unhealthy people with terrible eating and exercise habits that own them, and they either keep them in a drawer, or never look at them. They may have an addiction, a family tendency or an underlying problem, but looking at graphs and numbers to change behavior hasn't made them healthy.

I never took a college course in nutrition, but I know that a dessert of fresh fruit is healthier for me than a slice of "death by chocolate" cake at a restaurant. I've seen the "science" on eggs, coffee, cholesterol, etc. come and go. I know the trend to take a shot at 60 to make up for overeating as a teen/young adult is not going to end well for health care costs. I learned as a pre-schooler that I should be outside in the sunshine even when I didn't know about vitamin D and I still prefer not to get sweaty.

I know that I have 2 implanted devices (not called wearables, but I'm wearing them) right now and I really don't know anything about the data being collected and where it is going. Meanwhile my cell phone tells me I haven't walked enough this week. With AI already in our lives, I just don't like this government intrusion after our experience with the required, "good for you" so "do it or else" covid vaccine.

I also like Casey Means, think she's done good things, but she's invested in a "wearables" company (Levels) and she's also been nominated for Surgeon General. If it smells fishy when it's Pelosi or Warren, it also smells of fish for Kennedy and Means.



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