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Though fitness bands like [[Fitbit]] are quite popular, health tracking has a lot more to offer.  This page is mainly intended to encourage more tracking. It is based off an argument map.<ref>https://www.kialo.com/everyone-should-health-track---self-quantify-49787</ref> If you are not convinced by argument, please read [[Self Tracking, Types Movements Communities|Self Tracking Movements]] for a show of popularity of the practice or [[List of Interesting Self-Tracking Results|Interesting Results]] for examples of successes. Sections of this page are ordered by similarity, not importance.   

Though fitness bands like [[Fitbit]] are quite popular, health tracking has a lot more to offer.  This page is mainly intended to encourage more tracking. It is based off an argument map.<ref>https://www.kialo.com/everyone-should-health-track---self-quantify-49787</ref> If you are not convinced by argument, please read [[Self Tracking, Types Movements Communities|Self Tracking Movements]] for a show of popularity of the practice or [[List of Interesting Self-Tracking Results|Interesting Results]] for examples of successes. Sections of this page are ordered by similarity, not importance.   

Self-experimentation is still science. Variety of literature shows the validity of N-of-1 and patient-led studies.<ref>https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=patient-led+study</ref> 12 self-experimenters won Nobel prizes.<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3298919/</ref>

Self-experimentation is still science. Variety of literature shows the validity of N-of-1 and patient-led studies.<ref>https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=patient-led+study</ref> 12 self-experimenters won Nobel prizes.<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3298919/</ref>

Alternatively, you could donate your data. Even if no large formal experiment is conducted, observational studies are important.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead%E2%80%93crime_hypothesis</ref> [https://medschool.ucsd.edu/som/medicine/divisions/gastro/research/NAFLD/research/epidemiology/Pages/default.aspx#:~:text=Epidemiologic%20studies%20are%20the%20foundation%20for%20disease%20control,for%20a%20disease%20and%20targets%20for%20preventive%20medicine. Epidemiological studies]<ref>Introduction to Epidemiological Studies - PubMed (nih.gov)</ref> are better with self-tracking tools.<ref>https://www.jmir.org/2022/6/e35804</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/49775085_Reducing_case_ascertainment_costs_in_US_population_studies_of_Alzheimer's_disease_dementia_and_cognitive_impairment_-_Part_2</ref> If continuous self-tracking data is taken from multiple people, it becomes a [[wikipedia:Longitudinal_study|longitudinal study]]. These are more reliable than single slice observational studies like the ones most often used by papers about diets. Unfortunately, [[wikipedia:MHealth|mobile health]] companies that aggregate data from users rarely do it with real scientific goals in mind. Instead, you should give that data to researchers through [[Open Humans]].

Alternatively, you could donate your data. Even if no large formal experiment is conducted, observational studies are important.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead%E2%80%93crime_hypothesis</ref> [https://medschool.ucsd.edu/som/medicine/divisions/gastro/research/NAFLD/research/epidemiology/Pages/default.aspx#:~:text=Epidemiologic%20studies%20are%20the%20foundation%20for%20disease%20control,for%20a%20disease%20and%20targets%20for%20preventive%20medicine. Epidemiological studies]<ref>Introduction to Epidemiological Studies - PubMed (nih.gov)</ref>, which are observational studies, become better with self-tracking tools.<ref>https://www.jmir.org/2022/6/e35804</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/49775085_Reducing_case_ascertainment_costs_in_US_population_studies_of_Alzheimer's_disease_dementia_and_cognitive_impairment_-_Part_2</ref> Continuous self-tracking data from multiple people qualifies as [[wikipedia:Longitudinal_study|longitudinal study]]. These are more reliable than single slice observational studies like the ones most often used by papers about diets. Unfortunately, [[wikipedia:MHealth|mobile health]] companies that aggregate data from users rarely do it with real scientific goals in mind. Instead, you should give that data to researchers through [[Open Humans]].

==== Manage health conditions ====

==== Manage health conditions ====

Doctors will get much more precise, objective, and detailed description from data than patients provide verbally. This includes long term tracking as a baseline. Data like this has been good enough to prove something even to the medical community. Patients get a clearer picture of their health which they can use to make better decisions.<ref>https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1124772.1124910</ref> Patients can gauge their doctor's performance better. Self tracking could reduce medical costs.<ref>https://flowingdata.com/2022/06/24/when-americans-had-intercourse-with-opposite-sex-for-the-first-time/</ref>   

Doctors will get much more precise, objective, and detailed description from data than patients provide verbally. Patient knows much more about themselves than doctors have time to understand without the clear information that self-tracking provides. Data like this has been good enough to prove something even to the medical community. Patients get a clearer picture of their health which they can use to make better decisions.<ref>https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1124772.1124910</ref> Patients can gauge their doctor's performance better. Self-tracking could reduce medical costs.<ref>https://flowingdata.com/2022/06/24/when-americans-had-intercourse-with-opposite-sex-for-the-first-time/</ref>   

Sometimes doctors are practically useless and DIY health is the only answer.<ref>https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/fFY2HeC9i2Tx8FEnK/my-resentful-story-of-becoming-a-medical-miracle</ref> Chronic or sub-clinical health conditions, and effects of lifestyle choices, like veganism,<ref>https://www.vegansociety.com/shop/veg-1-supplements</ref><ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan_nutrition</ref> may be monitored using personal health tracking. Remedies such as weight loss diets and melatonin can be tested for effectiveness with health tracking. Even if no remedies are found, tracking provides piece of mind by showing the patient that this condition is like previous ones that have resolved or that it is benign.  

Sometimes doctors cannot help and then DIY health is the only answer.<ref>https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/fFY2HeC9i2Tx8FEnK/my-resentful-story-of-becoming-a-medical-miracle</ref> Chronic or [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subclinical subclinical] health conditions, and effects of lifestyle choices, like veganism,<ref>https://www.vegansociety.com/shop/veg-1-supplements</ref><ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan_nutrition</ref> may be monitored using personal health tracking. Remedies such as weight loss diets and melatonin can be tested for effectiveness with health tracking. Even if no remedies are found, tracking can provide piece of mind by showing the patient that this condition is like previous ones that have resolved or that it is benign.  

Unfortunately, sub-clinical issues are often esoteric and so require elusive or underdeveloped tools. At the same time, serious chronic conditions are more likely to be tracked with expensive, restricted to the public, or closed data devices.

Unfortunately, issues like this are often esoteric and so require elusive or underdeveloped tools. At the same time, serious chronic conditions are more likely to be tracked with expensive, restricted to the public, or closed data devices.

==== Protect your self ====

==== Protect your health ====

Even if you have no health problems and do not intend to improve anything, you should continuously monitor the vitals (same as in 'improve' bellow) that your doctors do not. Sickness can be subtle.<ref>https://www.fda.gov/drugs/special-features/high-blood-pressure-understanding-silent-killer</ref> It can harm you in a way that you do not notice but that could affect you a lot. For example slight dietary changes could increase resting heart rate and more noise could drastically reduce productivity.   

Even if you have no health problems and do not intend to improve anything, you should continuously monitor the vitals (same as in 'improve' bellow) that your doctors do not. Detect problems before they do harm. Sickness can be subtle.<ref>https://www.fda.gov/drugs/special-features/high-blood-pressure-understanding-silent-killer</ref> It can harm you in a way that you do not notice but that could affect you a lot. For example, slight dietary changes could increase resting heart rate or more noise could drastically reduce productivity.   

Unhealthy products are ubiquitous. Many foods are designed to be bought, often without concern for the health of the customer. Technological innovation grows so fast that culture and regulators can not keep up. This turns in to a [[Digital addiction]] epidemic because of games like flappy bird, and apps like Facebook and Youtube.  

Unhealthy products are ubiquitous. Many foods are designed to be sold, often without concern for the health of the customer. Technological innovation grows so fast that culture and regulators (FDA) cannot keep up.<ref>One-Third Of New Drugs Had Safety Problems After Approval : Shots - Health News : NPR</ref> This turns in to a [[Digital addiction]] epidemic because of games like flappy bird, and apps like Facebook and Youtube.  

Travel can be unhealthy in unexpected ways. Quality of sanitation and health care varies between countries. Health advisories about foreign countries are abundant. Digital nomads should maintain a diary of symptoms to notice uncommon diseases in addition to vitals.

Travel can be unhealthy in unexpected ways. Quality of sanitation and health care varies between countries. Health advisories about foreign countries are abundant. Digital nomads, or anyone that travels great a lot, should maintain a diary of symptoms to notice uncommon diseases. Productivity can suffer unnoticeably.  

Long term vitals monitoring provides safety baselines for self experimentation with exciting interventions like nootropics. Just imagine someone trying out long term [[Fasting]] and not noticing a strong increase in resting heart rate. In addition, if someone who does not experiment ever decide to experiment, they will have lots of baseline data to compare against data gained during interventions.   

Long term monitoring provides safety baselines for self-experimentation. Just imagine someone trying out long term [[Fasting]] or nootropics and not noticing dangerous changes to their normal state. In addition, if someone who does not experiment ever decide to experiment, they will have lots of baseline data to compare against data gained during interventions.   

Tools to save your life can also record data. For examples; Apple watch monitors for arrhythmia, medicine trackers for the goal of safety can also help monitor health conditions, and hiking is made much safer with GPS.  

Tools to save your life usually also record data. For example, Apple watch monitors for arrhythmia, medicine trackers for the goal of safety can also help monitor health conditions, and hiking is made much safer with GPS.

==== Improve [[Fitness]], [[Mood]], [[Productivity]], and [[Cognition]]====

==== Improve [[Fitness]], [[Mood]], [[Productivity]], and [[Cognition]]====

For example: What is the optimum amount of coffee to improve productivity but not affect sleep? This is very similar to trying to improve a chronic health condition, except that it can be useful to anybody and does not deal with critical issues.  

For example: What is the optimum amount of coffee to improve productivity but not affect sleep? This is very similar to trying to improve a chronic health condition, except that it can be useful to anybody and does not deal with critical issues.  

Unfortunately, many of the relevant industries are filled with scams<ref>https://disb.dc.gov/page/beware-weight-loss-scams</ref> and thus avoided by consumers. Tracking produces information that consumers can rely on to distinguish useful products from not.

Unfortunately, many industries that promise such improvements are filled with conflicting information and scams.<ref>https://disb.dc.gov/page/beware-weight-loss-scams</ref> Consumers avoid buying products from such industries because they are not sure if there was any benefit from any specific product. Tracking of outcomes fixes this problem and encourages consumers to search for better products.  

   

   

People have gone through life always being mediocre because they did not try to improve themselves systematically. What if you are that kind of person? Health tracking will encourage your to keep experimenting!

Health tracking encourages experimentation and constant self improvement.  People have gone through their entire life without finding drastic life improvements because they simply did not experiment systematically. What if you are that kind of person?  

This method has precedents outside of personal science. Many professionals, especially coaches of [[Sports|athletes]], measure and try to improve every little thing to boost overall performance.

This method has precedents outside of personal science. Many professionals, especially coaches of [[Sports|athletes]], measure and try to improve every little thing to boost overall performance.

==== Motivate and change your behavior ====

==== Motivate and change your behavior ====

When user has successfully figured out what needs to change, the next hurdle becomes motivation. This is the primary interest of the [[Habits]] and self improvement community. Do not dismiss this as a lack of willpower because its still brain chemistry and easily manipulable by outside factors. Examples include; a way to make a necessary habit much more fun, that just a bit too much friction can shut down productivity, or finding that the underlying cause of a problem of motivation is actually a health issue. Feeling in control, and mastering your self and skills, can be strong intrinsic motivation. In counterpoint some people will hide data of things not going well.

When someone has successfully figured out what needs to change, they then must build up motivation to enact the change. This is the focus of the [[Habits]] and self improvement community. Tracking is useful here too. Do not dismiss failure as a lack of willpower because willpower is still brain chemistry and easily manipulable by outside factors. For example; sometimes lack of willpower is caused by health problems, sometimes just a bit too much friction can shut down motivation and productivity, or making a habit mildly more fun makes the habit something to look forward to.

Most smart watches, the most popular wearable, include lots of motivating information. [[Gamification]], the idea of dressing up real world as a game, seems popular and it requires tracking. The self tracker has access to many other behavior change techniques, including; cool new tech, cool art, competition, empowering healthful communities, financial punishment, and guilt. Just watching the numbers improve or even be recorded can be motivating and build healthy habits; according to personal experience [[User:DG|DG]] ([[User talk:DG|talk]]) and Atomic Habits book. Health tracking could even determine the best behavior change technique for each individual.  

Health tracking, (or rather mood tracking), can detect problems and determine the best behavior change technique for each individual.  

The negative effects of self tracking on motivation is mentioned in section arguments against tracking.

 

Unfortunately, when things are not going well, people will become demotivated and even hide the event from their history.  The negative effects of self tracking on motivation is mentioned in section arguments against tracking.

==== Make a story from your life  ====

==== Make a story from your life  ====

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[[Category:Topics]]

[[Category:Discussions]]