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Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Fitness / Does a Fitbit Harm More Than Help Your Health?

Does a Fitbit Harm More Than Help Your Health?

by Sarah Pope / Affiliate Links ✔

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Exercise is About Relaxation, Movement and Stress Reduction
  • Fitbit: Unnecessary Exposure to EMF Radiation+−
    • Are Fitbit night wearers undoing daytime weight loss efforts?
  • Metal in Your Mouth Can Make the Problem Worse
  • Heavy Metal Exposure?
  • Must Have a Fitbit?
  • My Experience Using a Fitbit Scale
  • Electronic Weight Loss Device Use is a Personal Decision

Science-backed reasons to question the safety of digital fitness trackers like the Fitbit and how to protect yourself if you choose to use one.woman checking a fitbit on her wrist

A Fitbit is a type of electronic device used for personal activity tracking. These wireless-enabled, wearable devices measure data such as the number of steps walked, quality of sleep, and other personal metrics.

The Fitbit was developed by the company of the same name founded and managed by James Park and Eric Friedman.

Since then, a proliferation of various styles and models have taken the workout world by storm. There are now similar knock-off devices crafted for every personality and need.

The very simple Fitbit Zip, which is about the size of a quarter, tracks only steps taken, distance traveled, and calories burned. The sophisticated Fitbit Flex, which is worn 24 hours a day even while showering and swimming, tracks all its wearer’s movement including sleep patterns.

There are Fitbit apps for the iPhone and Android too which allow fans to log their food, activities, water intake, and weight, as well as track their fitness goals throughout the day even while offline.

While these types of devices may seem like a very helpful tool to keep people motivated and moving toward exercise goals, I don’t personally use one. I also don’t recommend them to people who ask me about them (by the way, a fascia blaster isn’t healthy either).

Here are my science-backed reasons.

Exercise is About Relaxation, Movement and Stress Reduction

For me, exercise is primarily about movement, relaxation, and stress reduction. It frees the mind from the cares of the day for a short period of time.

Adding a lot of data and personal activity tracking to the mix is decidedly un-relaxing to me. I don’t want my every breath, step and heartbeat chronicled, tracked, and categorized as I go through my workout whether it be a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood or a high-intensity rebounding session on our outdoor trampoline.

Tracking my steps around the house as I do laundry, cook, and wash dishes seems very over the top and rather invasive too.  Can’t we just enjoy our exercise and daily activities without having to micromanage and examine every aspect under a microscope?

This takes much of the joy, relaxation and ultimately, health benefits out of it, in my opinion!

Exercise is not primarily about weight loss either at least to me. It’s about getting the blood pumping to facilitate the body’s detoxification mechanisms and to build and maintain muscle, fitness, and balance.  Simple burning of calories may help you lose weight but this alone never got anyone healthy, so why bother tracking exercise at such an elementary, two-dimensional level?

While some may find Fitbits helpful to the exercise process, to me, they detract from the psychological benefits of exercise enjoyment by micromanaging what should be experienced in an expansive manner.

Fitbit: Unnecessary Exposure to EMF Radiation

There are pictures available that show actual wireless radiation surrounding a person using a wireless-enabled device. You can see photographer Luis Hernan’s incredible photos here.

While it is basically impossible to get away from the constant bathing of the body in wireless radiation while at work or in a public place, exercise particularly in the outdoors offers a prime opportunity for rest and release from the onslaught of electromagnetic fields (EMF) for a brief period of time.

It makes no sense, at least to me, to be hooked up to a device like a Fitbit that emits any sort of EMF radiation while exercising which is already putting the body under physical stress from sweating and detoxification.

A Fitbit that people wear while sleeping seems most dangerous of all.  There is absolutely no data proving the safety of these devices during sleep even though the user manuals claim that “This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment.”

Quality sleep is very important for maintaining a healthy weight. Research has shown that poor quality sleep causes weight problems. Even just a few nights of poor sleep can lead to almost immediate weight gain. (1)

Are Fitbit night wearers undoing daytime weight loss efforts?

In fact, sleep and good health are so inextricably linked that many holistic medical practitioners recommend turning all wireless sources off at night with some going so far as to recommend flipping the entire house breaker until morning!  The reason?  The EMF radiation swirling around you may negatively affect sleep in a very profound way over the long term.

I’ve written before about how wireless baby monitors aren’t a good idea for sleeping babies. Fitbits worn during sleep transmitting data via wireless are a bad idea for similar reasons.

According to PowerWatch, a wireless baby monitor at less than 1 meter away from the baby’s crib was roughly equivalent to cell tower radiation standing only 150 meters (about one-tenth of a mile) away. (2)

How much worse would a wireless-enabled Fitbit be that is worn on your physical person as you exercise or sleep?

Metal in Your Mouth Can Make the Problem Worse

Interestingly, if you have dental amalgams (silver fillings) or titanium implants, this may make the wireless radiation from constantly wearing a digital fitness device even more problematic. According to Lina Garcia, DDS, DMD:

When considering the numerous reasons for the increasing prevalence of chronic illness in our society, I think that we should not overlook the possibility that metal-containing dental work, especially titanium implants, could be acting like antennas for the microwave [which includes wireless] transmissions going on between our cell phones and all of the cell phone towers in our 21st century environment.

… it is important to be aware that metal dental restorations and implants have already been shown to cause galvanic and electromagnetic stress for the human body. Galvanic and electromagnetic stress occurs when an unnatural electric current is generated by metal ions interacting with the electrolyte-rich fluid known as saliva. (3)

If you doubt that you are surrounded by very strong wireless radiation while wearing a wireless-enabled device be it a cell phone or a Fitbit, you can now download an app that will give you a colorful visual on those waves invisibly surrounding you with blue indicating the strongest wireless radiation down to red which indicates the weakest signal.

woman on treadmill wearing a fitbit

Heavy Metal Exposure?

In March 2014, the Consumer Product Safety Commission officially recalled the Fitbit Force due to injuries to an estimated 9,900 people.  These customers suffered from skin irritations such as blisters, rashes, and peeling skin after the continual wearing of the Fitbit Force for a period of time.  Fitbit stated that after consulting with medical professionals, the general assessment is that the skin problems were likely allergic reactions to nickel, an alloy in the stainless steel or adhesives used to assemble the Fitbit Force.

While it is well known that ingesting heavy metals like nickel can cause health problems, what is less well known is that the skin can absorb heavy metals too. (4, 5)

Cooking acidic foods in stainless steel is known to leech alloys like nickel into the food, but could stainless steel placed on the skin which is normally acidic at a pH of 4.5-5.5 leech metals too?  Even minute amounts of heavy metals in the body can have negative health consequences so this is far from a trivial concern. (6)

Until there are more research and definitive answers to this question, it seems prudent to be wary of products like the Fitbit Force that expose the skin to heavy metals for extended periods of time.

Must Have a Fitbit?

If you find that despite any health concerns, you simply must have a digital fitness device to track personal activities, my suggestion would be to seek one of the older models that work mechanically rather than digitally.

For example, a basic mechanical pedometer counts steps by measuring how much the body shakes. An internal object moves up and down with the motion of the person wearing the pedometer, which senses the vibrations of feet hitting the floor. As the ball moves, it activates a switch that clicks the counter forward.

You can tell that you have a mechanical pedometer as it will work simply by shaking it even without any walking involved.

My Experience Using a Fitbit Scale

While I don’t wear a Fitbit like device for the reasons cited above, I did use a Fitbit scale once a few months back. These devices measure BMI, body fat and other health statistics by sending an electrical signal through the body.

While the companies making these scales insist the signal shot through the body to gather the data is safe, the scale isn’t recommended for pregnant women, children under 10, or anyone with an implanted medical device.

Mmmmm.

While I do not consider myself EMF sensitive in any way, I felt immediately light-headed and fatigued after having my health statistics gathered by the Fitbit scale.  The experience really surprised me, as I didn’t expect a single-use to produce such a reaction. I didn’t feel right until a number of hours later.

Needless to say, I won’t be using a Fitbit type of scale again in the future!

Electronic Weight Loss Device Use is a Personal Decision

While choosing to use products like the Fitbit ultimately is a personal decision like whether or not to put a cellphone up to your head, in my book, it seems important to learn to switch off from our constant exposure to electronic devices and EMF radiation.

Exercise and sleep are the most obvious times to give yourself both a mental and physical break from EMF exposure.

Do you use a Fitbit?  What are your reasons for doing so and do the potential health risks concern you?

References

(1) Lost Sleep Can Lead to Weight Gain
(2) Strength of Microwave Technologies
(3) Has Your Dental Work Turned You Into a Walking Antenna?
(4) Heavy Metal Toxicity Raises Risk of EMF Sensitivity
(5) The Health Hazards of Heavy Metals
(6) Toxic Metals Is This Why You’re Feeling Sick?

More Information

Are AMR Devices Safer than Smart Meters?
The Dangers of Induction Stoves (and what to buy instead)
Reducing Exposure to Dirty Electricity
Harvard MD Speaks Out about the Health Dangers of Smart Meters
How to Protect Yourself from a Smart Meter

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Category: Fitness, Weight Loss
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: Amazon #1 bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

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Reader Interactions

Comments (187)

  1. Debbie Jacko via Facebook

    Jul 18, 2014 at 9:20 am

    wow! I never realized that. My kids bought me one for Christmas and I wear it 24/7.

    Reply
  2. Sharon Catney Donovan via Facebook

    Jul 18, 2014 at 8:35 am

    interesting. I was stressing about which on to buy, but after reading this, I thinj I will buy…. nothing. This brings up some old points. Save my Joey and go buy some healthy food

    Reply
  3. Denise

    Jul 18, 2014 at 7:43 am

    Thanks for this information. The EMF exposure did not dawn on me at all when I purchased the fitbit. I have a digital pedometer that runs on a battery is that OK? I also listen to Pandora through my cell phone while I am walking… I suppose that is not good either. I was wearing the fitbit to bed to track my sleeping because I work the overnight shift (which is not good on my physical self to begin with) but will stop that. I have more trouble getting weight off since being on the overnight shift… thanks for all that helpful information. I have so many things going against me I have no idea if I am coming or going. 🙁

    Reply
    • Sarah TheHealthyHomeEconomist

      Jul 18, 2014 at 9:13 am

      That sounds fine … old fashioned battery operated pedometer. Good choice!

      Yes, the cellphone exposure is a problem … can you use an mp3 player instead? Very inexpensive option.

    • Darlene

      Jul 23, 2014 at 4:19 pm

      I also bought the fitbit to keep track of my sleep. (I work odd hours.) I’ve used it for a few months now, and really like the activity tracking. The sleep tracking was disappointing, though.

      If you’re looking for a sleep tracker, I’d recommend the SleepBot app. Unlike fitbit, it will give you statistics like average daily sleep time, wake time, and duration of sleep on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. You can set your own optimal hours for sleep duration, and it will calculate your sleep debt.

      As for radiation, I just hit “going to sleep” on the screen, turn it off, and leave it on the desk. It’s my preferred sleep tracking method, now. (Admittedly, I still use the fitbit for activity tracking. The radiation makes me nervous, but it’s actually motivating me to work out.)

    • Clarissa

      Apr 22, 2015 at 8:29 pm

      I love my fitbit! I also listen to pandora when I run, to me it makes running more enjoyable.

      Does the idea of radiation make me nervous? A little. But my honest opinion is that I’m not going to live to be 100 years old. Nor do I want to my knees and shoulders are already shot from high school athletics. Of course I regret nothing, I loved playing sports. But I’m going to die eventually, and that’s not debatable. Am I going to spend my whole life terrified that wifi will give me cancer? No. I’m going to use my wifi to watch enjoyable movies in my down time, research for work when I must, and in my spare time, I am going to run, listen to pandora, and wear my fitbit so I can later view how my performance is improving and come up with new goals.

    • JJ

      Aug 17, 2015 at 9:45 pm

      If your knees are shot why are you running?

    • mamacita

      Mar 1, 2016 at 1:47 pm

      Running is not bad for your knees if your form is good. It can also make damaged knees less painful.

    • K

      Apr 20, 2015 at 10:15 am

      1. Using an MP3 player is only helpful if you’re somewhere that you won’t need a phone.

      2. The EMF levels listed are negligible compared to other electronic devices that are used daily. Things like the transformer outside your home, your electrical appliances (TV, fridge, blender, anything that is plugged into electricity), your wireless internet, MP3 Players, etc.

      3. The only time you need to transmit with the Fitbit is when you are syncing your device and you can take it off while that happens if you’re that concerned with the EMF.

      4. You don’t have to wear the Flex (or any other tracker) 24 hours a day. You can wear it as long as you feel comfortable doing so.

      5. Many exercise programs advise to keep track of your activity levels so you can match you activity level to your caloric and fat intake.

      6. The only actually tracking that you don’t have to manually activate (unless it’s the fitbit Charge HR) is the activity tracker which will then calculate the calories burned based on the duration of the activity. This is no different and no more invasive than an exercise machine that does the same thing.

  4. Veronica Navarro via Facebook

    Jul 18, 2014 at 7:26 am

    Call me old fashion but I don’t care about these things. Just exercise to feel good, no counting anything here. Plain and simple…

    Reply
    • Domenic

      Aug 11, 2015 at 1:53 pm

      Or you can do the exact same thing with your Fitbit device, only more accurate.

  5. Michelle Stumpf via Facebook

    Jul 18, 2014 at 7:14 am

    That was what bothered me, it was always searching for a signal to connect and update my stats. It’s buried in a drawer somewhere – been dead for a long time!

    Reply
  6. Jen Keller Faust via Facebook

    Jul 18, 2014 at 7:02 am

    I would definitely never wear one during sleep.

    Reply
  7. Aces

    Jul 15, 2014 at 1:45 pm

    So true about the EMF.
    And stress is the enemy of weight loss for women.
    A new study shows women actually appear to burn less calories when stressed.

    Reply
  8. Sheryl

    Jul 13, 2014 at 11:59 pm

    Thank you for this important information.

    Reply
  9. Dina-Marie

    Jul 11, 2014 at 2:16 pm

    Sarah, I use a fitbit while working in the vineyard mainly b/c of the watch on it. It is small and I clip it to my waistband plus, it does encourage me when I see the steps I have taken throughout the day – they really add up. For me it is not about weightloss but movements as you said. You have really given me something to think about – I had never thought about the wireless radiation! I will definitely be giving this some thought! But, as I scrolled down to thank you for your post, I could not help but notice a FitBit ad was on your Adsense right under the article – I know you don’t have control over that but it was just too funny not to mention!!!!

    Reply
  10. Lisa

    Jul 9, 2014 at 10:31 pm

    I have a fitbit and wear it daily; but not by choice. My company has a ‘wellness’ plan and the employees portion of the health insurance premium is determined by participation in the wellness program. If you wear a fitbit and upload the data to the health coach each day; each employee received a $50 monthly credit toward their insurance premium. Other factors such as BMI, cholesterol and exercise are all factored in and if you participate in all area’s of the wellness plan, you can end up paying NOTHING for health insurance; the company pays it all. So i’ve never paid much attention to the fitbit I wear it because it saves me $50 a month.

    Reply
    • Sarah TheHealthyHomeEconomist

      Jul 10, 2014 at 8:04 am

      Wow. I find this shocking and invasive of privacy. How do you feel about it?

    • Kat

      Jul 10, 2014 at 12:32 pm

      This is still by choice. You are choosing to get the $50 credit or not.

    • MG

      Aug 20, 2014 at 9:04 pm

      This is very interesting and for me is one of the most compelling pieces of evidence that FitBit works! The company has decided that it saves money by buying each employee a FitBit AND paying for that employee’s health care outright. This tells me that the exercise people are getting, due in large part to FitBit, is worth more $$$ than their financial outlay. All that money savings plus better health to boot!

      I have a friend who uses a FitBit to help track his sleep, among other things. I think that the majority of people who are shocked to find out how little activity they get during the day would be dismayed to find out what little good sleep they get at night 🙁

      Another thing that differentiates the FitBit from a manual pedometer is the altimeter that can track you doing flights of stairs or hill climbs.

      I don’t have one. Probably won’t get one. But I’m not sure I’m more scared of it than the cell phone in my pocket.

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