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Using Technology to Promote Healthy E ating & Active Living. Here’s the scoop:. Keeping fit is a modern day dilemma. More and more people are seeking ways to improve the quality of their health and physical condition – But feel too busy with work, family, social commitments, & just LIFE!.
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Here’s the scoop: • Keeping fit is a modern day dilemma. • More and more people are seeking ways to improve the quality of their health and physical condition – But feel too busy with work, family, social commitments, & just LIFE!
Experts say a healthy lifestyle is dependent at least in part on 4 basics that help a person prevent • & control chronic disease: • Not smoking • Eating a balanced diet • Getting physical activity • Controlling weight *Surveyed 153,000 adults in all 50 states. *While many of the people did well in one or more categories, only 3% met the requirements of all 4.
So what does the 97% put the blame on? • Thanks to modern luxuries, it has become much easier to live a comfortable lifestyle. • The downside of this is that we tend to exercise less and consume more food.
Making the Connection • Today’s “Fit” apps have made health a priority & have found a way to connect it to the type of technology that millions of people are using every single day. • Regina Benjamin, M.D. began the ‘Healthy App Challenge’ to challenge developers to create apps that provide tailored health information & empower users to engage in & enjoy healthy behavior.
Find products that are healthy, green & socially responsible!
Scan, See, & Select to YOUR Health!
What can we learn from these apps? • Importance of buying local, fresh foods • Keeping track of what you’re eating can be tough, but “Food Scanners” via mobile cameras are as handy as ever • Food Log: simply writing down what you eat is enough to reduce food intake
What else can these apps do for us? Virtual Training Partners • “I have trouble working out by myself because I either get bored easily or stressed because it's hard for me to just casually work out”? • Going the distance with other people always helps. App users build lasting friendships through the camaraderie of fitness. • Accountability is key! Find/Add your friends to help each other along the way to healthy eating & active living.
…Compete, Explore! Track, Compare…
Amp your workout! Just push play & GO!
Other devices - GPS To most of us, the GPS watch is a running tool with a view to better performance. GPS can be extremely beneficial as a navigation tool, or for the tracking of one’s exercise and fitness level. Many GPS sport watches not only track your total exercise, but accurately tally total calories burned in a training session
Critique: Value of Technology • It’s about the user, not the technology. • This is not only because health is a part of everyone’s lives, but also that a person’s health is probably the most personal aspect of his/her life. • Health is something that we each can say it truly is “all about me.” • Thus, people need to understand what these new products and platforms mean to them.
Empowerment Let’s take advantage of these mobile apps & technological gateways & allow them to aid us in losing weight and eating right. Hopefully in time, [& with exposure] mobile technologies will call attention to how apps truly can improve our lives.