Body Media FIT Review

By George Harding

An amazing development has been occurring in the health field. There are more devices than ever before that measure and report on aspects of your body and health. The Fit device is one of them.

FIT is essentially a weight management system that records, analyzes and reports physiological parameters. The objectives of using the system are to assist you to maintain a healthy weight and an active lifestyle. Benefits include combatting serious medical conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

This device has an attached arm band and is designed for you to wear most of the time. As you wear it, four sensors collect information about your body’s response to activity:

• Galvanic skin response.  When you sweat, your skin becomes more electrically conductive. This sensor measures how active you are
• Skin temperature.  Measures surface temperature of your body.
• Heat flux.  Measures the rate heat dissipates from your body.
• Accelerometer.  Measures motion and steps taken.

When you start using the system, you open and account and enter your goals with respect to aspects of your health, primarily weight reduction. As you wear the arm band and upload the data, a web site collects the data and organizes it for your use.

The system reports five items of information it collects: Calories burned; Calories consumed; Physical activity; Steps taken; and Sleep duration. These are shown in a grid formation with a bar chart. You can easily chart your progress toward your goals.

There are two items of information that you must enter manually, meals and weight. Entering the weight each day or two is a simple procedure. Entering the meal information is more complex.

For each meal, you use the web sites tools to find the foods that you ate and the portions. There is an extensive database of foods that can be used to select and enter the data. You can simplify the process somewhat by copying yesterday’s info for a meal to today.

The device in the arm band that collects information may be removed for uploading and charging. It comes with a cable, one end of which fits the micro-USB port in the device, the other end of which has a USB plug for your computer or laptop. Charging takes about 3 hours initially. Uploading only takes a few seconds.

When you connect the arm band device through the cable to your laptop, syncing begins automatically and the grid of report information is displayed with the current information. There is an iPhone app available that shows the grid information from the last sync, which is handy.

There are several tools you have available to provide information and to help you with your weight loss task. Food analysis can point out what you are eating that raises your calories consumed count, to help you evaluate your eating habits.

The exercise calculator shows the estimated calories burned for a wide selection of activities. For example, playing racquetball competitively for an hour burns about 800 calories. Mowing lawn for 30 minutes uses 240 calories if walking behind the mower, but only 100 using a riding mower.

This is a very helpful device for controlling or losing weight. In fact, it has been used by entrants to the Biggest Loser TV show to help with their weight loss program.

I found this system easy to use and beneficial to me. The arm band is not at all uncomfortable, during the day or at night. I encountered only one anomaly, the record of physical activity. My 2 hours of racquetball only showed up as 17 minutes. I don’t know why.

I recommend this system for anyone who wants to lose weight and/or stay healthy. There is some comfort in seeing how closely you measure up to what you want your health to be.

FIT by Bodymedia        
www.bodymedia.com               
Price about $119, $149 for a wireless version