Your ‘health age’ is fake
Published
What's this about?
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your life. Opt in for Optimizer here. During last week's Apple Watch announcement, I let out a distinct "Noooo!" in the St
The one-panel cartoon
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A dimly lit, cluttered office with a desk piled with health gadgets and papers, a person staring at a computer screen displaying a message saying 'Your health age is 37, but it should be 27.'
Caption: Optimizer: Weekly reminders that your health tracker is fibbing
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Based on the original story on theverge.com.
Editor's note
This latest update from Optimizer raises important questions about the hype surrounding health technology, and I appreciate Victoria Song’s nuanced examination of the Apple Watch and other gadgets that often oversell their health benefits. It’s essential to recognize that while these devices may track metrics, our health is much more complex and multifaceted.
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Panel 1
*Alex is wearing a new Apple Watch and beaming with excitement. Sam is sitting nearby with an exasperated look, while Robin is looking around the room, seemingly distracted.* Alex (pointing to his wrist)
Alex: Look, Sam! My health age is officially younger than Robin's!
Panel 2
*Robin is suddenly hyper-focused on a bottle of dubious health potion from a nearby shelf. Sam is shaking his head, and Alex is still smiling.* Robin (grinning)
Robin: Well, my new potion will totally outshine that fancy watch!
Panel 3
*Alex is now enthusiastically demonstrating a new health potion, while Sam has buried his head in his hands. Robin is holding the potion bottle, looking at it with wide-eyed excitement.* Sam (sighing) Robin (cheerfully)
Sam: And the cycle of health gimmicks continues...
Robin: To our younger health ages!
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