The 8 connected objects - eHealth - that want to revolutionize your health
Intelligent scales, e-forks, tracking bracelets... Slowly, but surely, connected objects - eHealth - are becoming part of our daily lives.
If only 11% of the population currently owns these digital accessories capable of valuable measurements, the proportion should quickly rise.
Especially in the field of health care, where objects are flourishing at high speed. Portrait of 8 objects likely to seduce you...
Connected bracelets that boost your health
Marketed by Jawbone® under the name Up, the wristband records your data and automatically synchronizes it with your smartphone (iOS and Android).
You can then visualize, day after day, the detailed representation of your sleep and physical activity.
If you take the trouble to note down the ingredients that make up your meals, you also benefit from a calorie counter and monitoring of the nutritional quality of your diet.
Are you reaching the 10,000 steps per day as recommended by the WHO? Are you getting enough sleep every night? Are your sleep cycles optimal? Check it and let the bracelet suggest ways to improve?
The alternative: the Fitbit Flex electronic wristband
The plus: It really encourages you to walk more and sleep better.
The minuses :
- The Bluetooth connection is greedy with the smartphone's battery.
- The bracelet fears water.
The prices: between 100 and 150 € / between 150 $ and 220 $.
The connected fork that makes you lose weight
It's a puzzling thing: a fork that makes you lose weight! We've definitely seen it all. 
Named HAPIfork by its designers, this connected utensil relies on scientific research to justify its promises.
Indeed, it has been shown that when we eat slowly, the hypothalamus (the part of the nervous system that controls hunger) better measures the body's needs and triggers satiety more quickly, potentially before we finish our plate or before we get a refill.
And in practice, what does this mean? It's quite simple: the smart fork vibrates when the interval between two bites is less than 10 seconds as if it were reprimanding you for eating too quickly.
Of course, such an accessory is useless if you don't eat a balanced diet at the same time. Its role is to initiate a change in your eating behavior (by regulating your fork stroke), but it won't succeed without a strong motivation on your part...
The plus: Meal times are recorded on your smartphone and you can track your progress day after day.
The minuses :
- The need to always have the fork within reach, even at a friend's house.
- Not all dishes can be eaten with a fork (soup, sandwiches, yogurts...)!
Virtual coaches to optimize your physical training
Information on the course, progress curves, heart rate measurements thanks to a connected belt, voice warnings in case of danger, or even a motivating piece of music in the event of a stroke, the application (provided you choose the paid model) is impressive.
It is even possible to visualize and publish one's courses on social networks, after the race, to compare with other users. Enough to counter the lack of motivation as the fall approaches!
The alternatives: Runkeeper (with programs designed by real coaches to prepare for a marathon, lose weight, ...), Nike +
The +: The "Real-time tracking" function, which allows selected third parties (coach, friends, family...) to follow a race live, can be reassuring during night races.
The - :
- The GPS remains rather inaccurate compared to a watch dedicated to the sport.
- Requires investment in a specialized armband for a smartphone.
The prices: About 5 € for the application, 20 € for the armband, and 70 € for the belt.
Slimming coaches that control your diet
Simply enter the ingredients that make up the meals or scan the barcodes of the products consumed to find out the exact number of calories consumed per day.
The technology works wonders, and you can even link your Runtastic account to myFitnessPal to recalculate your daily calorie balance based on your physical activity.
Since the application is also able to calculate the dietary portion of each nutrient (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, etc.), users can use the application to better balance their diet.
The alternative: Weight Watchers
The plusses:
- The food database is impressive.
- The link with other sports applications and connected scales.
The - :
- Difficult to correctly evaluate quantities in a restaurant.
- The application does not take into account the cooking of food in the calculation of nutrients.
- Using myFitnessPal can quickly become an obsession.
The price: Free at 40 € / month
The connected lighter that drives out the cigarette
Connected to a dedicated application via Bluetooth, it records your cigarette consumption as well as how often you smoke.
It is then possible to consult the balance of your days in the form of a graph to see if the defined objectives have been respected.
You can also limit the number of times you light the lighter per day or take a break. This is because the lighter has a heating element like the cigarette lighter.
The +: If you lose your lighter, a notification is sent immediately on the phone.
The - :
- The QuitBit does not replace your motivation since you can still smoke with another lighter.
- It is impossible to lend your lighter to friends without distorting the statistics.
- The price seems excessive, especially since if you succeed in quitting quickly, the object will no longer be of any use to you.
The price: 75 € / $110
The intelligent toothbrush for ever more precise care
This is a far cry from the first toothbrushes imported from China at the end of the 15th century. Equipped with pressure sensors, this state-of-the-art accessory analyzes the areas brushed and tells you when to change areas.
You can gradually improve your brushing and your regularity since the time and quality of brushing are systematically recorded. A way to monitor children's oral hygiene?
The plus the possibility of sharing the data with your dentist.
The minus: At this price, many will prefer to keep their "old" toothbrush.
The price is between 75 and 150 € for Kolibree and between 220 and 280 € for Oral-B models.
The New Intelligent Sleep Trackers
Heart rate, sleep cycles, breathing, movements or even snoring, Beddit analyses your sleep in-depth without disturbing you and sends you a report every morning, with personalized advice (according to your night environment or your habits).
Moreover, the connected object pretends to wake you up at the end of a cycle, in other words at the best possible moment! Sleepless to sleep better.
The +: It doesn't bother like a JawBone-up bracelet could.
The -: The precision seems lower than the "NeuroOn" currently on the market, especially if you sleep with a companion.
The price: 149 €.
The connected scale melts the silhouette
Each weighing is accompanied by an update of your weight curve that is displayed on your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
The best known is called Withings. It can recognize each member of the family and is coupled with other Slimming applications such as MyFitnessPal for example.
It can also calculate the body mass index and the proportion of fat mass. How can it do this? By sending a very low-intensity, high-frequency electrical current through your body: adipose tissue is less conductive of electricity than muscle tissue.
The plus: The scale helps you understand how diet and activity affect weight if you link it to other health applications.
The minus: Setting up the scale can be laborious.
Price: about 150 €.
Name
Health