Posted on 10/30/2009 2:44:53 AM PDT by markomalley
Feeling guilty about not doing enough exercise? Well, guilt might soon be the least of your problems.
Thanks to a new Big Brother-style gadget being adopted by American companies — and coming to Britain early next year — bosses can measure exactly how many calories you are burning in a day and compare the data with “performance benchmarks”.
In other words: staying in shape might soon become as important as getting to the office on time.
The gadget, from the Dutch electronics company Philips, is slightly larger than a postage stamp and must be carried around at all times, either in a trouser pocket or on a necklace.
(snip)
The scheme, which was shown off at a high-powered conference in Coronado Island, California, attended by President Obama’s healthcare adviser Ezekiel Emanuel and celebrities including Goldie Hawn, comes as American companies are desperate to lower their healthcare costs.
(snip)
As for concerns over privacy, Mr de Heus emphasises that the scheme is voluntary and that users’ statistics are private unless they choose to share them. However, CEOs will be able to see “aggregate data” for their entire workforce, and then compare it with similar data from rival companies.
There is, of course, one flaw to the otherwise highly sophisticated technology: it can’t measure what you eat. Not yet, anyway: a calorie-sensing skin patch isn’t far off, experts say.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
As long as they don’t get between me and the coffee pot we be just fine...
Sure the statistics are private, sureee they are. Repeat, as necessary, to the appropriate Obama Czar.
I am sure the Business Socialists will come out full force....those who believe that businesses have a right to take away your civil liberties.
No government, or business, should have any right to go to this extreme
But according to the smoking nazis around here, there's no problem...(as long as it's their favored vice, I guess)
It seems it can’t actually measure exercise, only movement - a high tech pedometer. Feeling lazy? Put the necklace on your cat, breakout your chips, beer and catnip.
Are they going to give me time off to exercise?
Will they be publishing calorie counts in the outsourced company cafeteria?
I’ll borrow my brother’s dog, or better yet tape it to my treadmill and let ‘er rip. What facist nazi scheme will they think up next?
I want to put a Run H!, Run sticker on the front of my car. Others could do the same for their favorite couch potatoe.
All this George Orwell 1984 crap. It is bad enough that we have Federal, State, & Local nannies. Now, employers are increasingly becoming nannies, too.
Aaaaaarrrrggghhh!
It never occurs to the nannies to simply stop employer provided insurance & allow the consumer to buy it on the open market, across state lines from the insurer of their choice.
No, they have to make a Rube Goldberg system by trying to fix a system that was fundamentally flawed from the beginning. A common sense approach is apparently taboo. So is repealing bad policy. It's like some kids who build a rickety tree-house, & keep adding boards hoping it will be safer. Duh!
I could get plenty of exercise if they weren’t so darn uptight about sex at work.
Quote:
“I could get plenty of exercise if they weren’t so darn uptight about sex at work.”
Now that’s a good one. :)
The devise manufacturer has a great marketing department.
“No government, or business, should have any right to go to this extreme”
Don’t like it quit!
i’ve fired people for having long hair.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.