What do you mean by my new smart scale being “designed for GLP-1 users”?

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A few days ago, I walked into the basement of a downtown gym. Juices and healthy snacks were distributed. After a group workout, sweaty fitness influencers (and some less sweaty tech reporters) sat in a semicircle on some imperfect leather sofas and chairs. We’ve all been there to get our hands on a smart scope. But not only any Smart scale. We were there for Withings Body Fita smart scale marketed as “designed for GLP-1 users.”

That claim has been borne out because, for all intents and purposes, the $280 BodyFit scale is a health- and budget-focused version of Withings. Premium Body Scanning Scale, $500. As it stands, it has a retractable handle that enables segmented body composition analysis through bioimpedance technology, but it ignores the more medically coded features. I’ve detailed the pros and cons of smart scales in My review of another Withings scaleBut traditional smart scales, due to the nature of the work of bioimpedance technology, generally Just measure your lower body and use algorithms to extrapolate your overall body measurements. Split body shaping includes the upper body and torso by including additional measurement points.

So how does this relate to GLP-1 users? Thin. GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro slow the digestive system and suppress the appetite. One possible side effect of this is that many users end up losing muscle mass. That’s why doctors recommend GLP-1 users prioritize protein intake and regular strength training. Withings’ idea here is that the body composition scale can help you monitor your muscle mass. Which He can Be helpful! But it is an exaggeration to say that this current technology is “designed specifically for GLP-1 users.”

“GLP-1 therapies have changed obesity care, but they have not eliminated the need for long-term support,” says Antoine Biffron, vice president of health solutions at Withings. “Drugs create momentum, but sustainable outcomes come from combining treatment with services and ongoing health data. What we’re seeing is a broader shift toward more personalized and connected metabolic care, and that’s where Withings has focused for years.”

While I arch an eyebrow at Withings’ rant for marketing GLP-1 for BodyFit, Pivron is broadly right! I’ve done it often Written about more to focus On metabolic data In the wearable field. Given that One in eight Americans If you take or are taking a GLP-1 drug, we are about to see more GLP-1 commercialization from health technology companies. Case in point, last week Oura announced this as well Launch feature to provide “GLP-1 Insights” In its application.

as Dr. Doofenshmirtz Meme It goes: If I had a nickel for every time in the past 10 days a major health tech company announced GLP-1 technology, I’d have a nickel. It’s not a lot, but it is He is Strangely enough, it happened twice.

I’m sensitive to the marketing of GLP-1 — not just as a health technology reporter, but as someone who currently uses a GLP-1 drug for treatment My metabolism. The range of GLP-1 experiences is broad, but my experience has not always been pleasant. Over the past six months, I have experienced almost every possible side effect under the sun, as well as an unusually long adjustment period even though I was on the lowest therapeutic dose. You have turned my life upside down in countless ways. Desperate to feel normal again, my instinct was to try using existing health technology to research, manage, and improve my treatment.

It’s been a bumpy ride.

It’s one thing to review health tech products when you’re in really good shape and feeling great. It’s another thing when you are Chronically no. I could probably talk 2,000 words about how the vast majority of wearables and AI health products work from an aggregated point of view. That is, a lot of “ideas” and feature design were created to serve the “average” user. Great if that’s you; Objectively frustrating if that’s not the case. Personal health technology is supposed to address this, but it is currently an ongoing process. It doesn’t quite match what’s available. For example: recording medications and side effects? Daunting, but easy with most technology. Do you understand how this relates to your other metrics and recognize patterns so you can have a productive conversation with your doctor? Well, I hope you enjoy spending hours crunching numbers, training AI health coaches, validating every idea, printing out charts, and explaining to doctors why this is important during your allotted 15 to 30 minutes in your appointment. I have the advantage of being paid to do this. The vast majority of people looking for guidance, agency, and relief do not.

Intellectually, I understand why health tech companies see the popularity of GLP-1 drugs as an opportunity for new features. Withings isn’t evil because he points out that the smart scale can be a useful tool if you’re concerned about GLP-1-related muscle loss. I actually wish Oura’s GLP-1 had been available to try when I started taking it. It’s designed to help you keep track of your doses as you titrate and track your symptoms. It also uses AI insights to let you know if what you’re experiencing is normal at your stage or might require a doctor’s consultation. For example, let’s say you notice that your resting heart rate begins to rise after you start taking a medication. GLP-1 can cause thisbut since it’s not clinically serious, you’ll be told not to worry. On paper, I see this as a useful implementation. I’m curious to see how it fares in long-term testing.

Now that I have the BodyFit scale to test, with some split body composition readings under my belt, I have even more questions! Preliminary data from the BodyFit scale indicates that I have normal muscle mass for my age and gender! This, in fact, is higher It’s average for several parts of my body, but somehow, overall, it’s not enough. I also obviously still have a lot of body fat – but it seems like it’s all subcutaneous (aka aesthetically toxic for people with looks but not metabolically dangerous) since my visceral fat reading is so low! Is this the correct interpretation? If so, do I just need to reach my doctor’s body fat goal and call it a day? How do I do this when I suffer from moderate chronic fatigue? If not, how can I gauge the most pressing issue to focus on in my limited bandwidth? What does all this mean in the context of my current situation?!

Or maybe that’s all natural Once again, I unconsciously fall into the familiar trap of health data overload.

The problem with calling BodyFit a GLP-1 tool is that its use case here is very broad. You can lose muscle mass for any number of reasons. Maybe it’s the medicine. Maybe it’s because you went through a life event and were unable to continue training for several months. I could ask Withings’ AI bot, but that would mean taking the time to train another AI health chatbot with my specific circumstances. It’s a task I find exhausting and exhausting, and there is often no guarantee of useful context.

Personally, I think that both Withings and Oura have good intentions about these GLP-1 features. But from the user’s point of view, the problem is the framing. Based on my experience – which I realize will never be the same all GLP-1 User – Oura’s suggested feature is more appealing because it addresses a real problem I’m having and need help with. It’s a particularly specific tool with clear actions that I can choose to use or ignore. In the future, this could perhaps be applied to other commonly used medications as a way to help people between doctor visits.

Withings’ framing has some advantages. Me too, according to my doctor Inbody scaleThey lost some muscle mass. It would be good, in theory, to focus on my protein and monitor my body composition at home to prevent further loss. But I have actually This was done on a different Withings scale. So the real “benefit” I get, as a GLP-1 user, is a more detailed look at my body composition.

Either way, I wouldn’t be surprised if GLP-1 users get more tech products this time next year. Here’s hoping at least some Make treatment navigation less complicated.