Throughout history, there have been many individuals who meticulously monitored their weight, but one of the most intriguing figures is Santorio Santorio. In the 1500s, he devoted his life to tracking his body, weighing everything he consumed and everything he excreted.
For a particular scientific investigation, he created what he called a sanctorian weighing chair – a chair placed next to the dining table on a steel scale that closely monitored one’s weight.
His theory was based on the idea that individuals could maintain their weight by consuming the same amount that their bodies expelled (urine, feces, sweat, or what he referred to as “insensible sweat”). If it detected overeating, the chair would lower, making it impossible to reach the food. This would prevent further consumption until the end of the meal.
Despite being mocked at the time, Santorio’s concept had merit. The notion of a personalized, experimental, and quantitative approach to health is undeniably appealing.
Nearly two centuries later, Benjamin Franklin, inspired by Santorio, meticulously recorded his dietary intake and compiled a list of all 13 of his virtues. He marked them whenever he committed an immoral act, monitoring and quantifying his life in great detail.
In the modern era, individuals have pushed boundaries with technology to track various aspects of their lives. For instance, a Reddit user created a beautiful visualization depicting a baby’s sleep and wake times during the initial months of life.
The advancement of wearables has made monitoring our health easier than ever. With technology, we can now effortlessly track various health metrics. AI-powered wearables connected to smartphone apps can monitor sleep patterns, blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and blood pressure.
Having access to objective numbers and data can be reassuring. It can serve as a motivator for achieving our health goals and connecting with communities that prioritize health tracking and accountability. However, it’s essential not to prioritize tracking numbers over happiness and well-being.
When it comes to fitness, remember that numbers are merely proxies for what truly matters. Each individual is unique, and responses to external stimuli vary. While trackers can provide insights into what is “normal” for a person, this data should be used to inform rather than dictate health status. Human bodies are complex and should not be reduced to mere data points.
Source: www.theguardian.com