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Fitbit frenzy: Should you run away from fitness tracking?

You can now monitor your body in myriad ways with wearable technology and health apps. But should you?
A man displays a range of fitness trackers, from left: Basis Peak, Adidas Fit Smart, Fitbit Charge, Sony SmartBand, and the Jawbone Move. (Bebeto Matthews/Associated Press)

Have you noticed them? The sleek bands clinging to wrists all around you, counting their wearer's every step, monitoring their heart rates and even sliding into bed with them at night. 

The proliferation of fitness tracking devices like Fitbit — which was valued at $4.1 billion after going public this week — has some excited, and others quite worried. 

Technology writer Jill Duffy joins Friday guest host Gill Deacon to discuss the rise of wearable tech, plus the pros and cons of meticulous self-monitoring.  


WEB EXTRA | Tracking steps and heart rates is for amateurs. Want to get into some serious self-quantification? Here are just some of the mind boggling things you can now track:

Please Note: CBC does not endorse any of these products. Track your butt at your own risk.