Weight loss gadgets: They provide data to help consumers achieve diet goals, but it still won’t be easy

Without firm results, many health care providers are sceptical. Some experts also worry that the constant stream of data could prompt disordered eating. — Dreamstime/TNS

I felt a special kind of awe, then panic, watching my glucose levels skyrocket for the first time after relishing a cold beer on a sweltering summer evening. It was a biological push notification from the fluid just beneath my skin that the carbohydrate-packed beverage was interfering with efforts to maintain my health and weight.

For years, people with Type 1 diabetes have worn continuous glucose monitors, or CGMs, to track blood sugar spikes and make sure they’re getting enough insulin. CGMs are small patches with tiny needles for sensors that prick the skin and are generally worn on the stomach or back of the arm.