科學天地：高科技減肥裝置 涉侵私隱惹爭議

放大圖片

　■科學家現正研發一種穿戴式無線感測器，記錄癡肥人士的心跳及壓力數據，希望能助他們減肥。資料圖片

　減肥都可高科技。科學家為深入研究癡肥者的飲食和運動習慣，現正研發一種穿戴式無線感測器，用來監視癡肥者的日常生活。

　這個實驗性裝置專門追蹤癡肥者的運動量和飲食量，甚至也可知道他們會否利用公園運動的時間，偷偷跑到快餐店。這裝置的目的是減少癡肥者掩飾真相作自我解脫。

　在洛杉磯市郊一個實驗室，兩名超重青年測試裝置，兩人輪流站、坐、臥、跑步或玩遊戲機Wii。當音樂響起後，胸前的無線感測器會記錄他們的心跳、壓力數據和活動量，所有資料會傳送至手機。

　傳統的減肥方式，大多由癡肥者自行記錄飲食量和運動時間，但研究員認為這並不可靠，因為有些人常會忘記一些細節或說謊。

　研發中的裝置運用精密的電子設備，甚至內置攝影機，有些系統更打算向使用者提供即時回應和度身訂造的療程。

　在南加州大學的實驗室中，研究人員仍在反覆替裝置除錯，預計下半年會讓試驗者在周末戴上感測器回家，如果他們懶惰，系統會以短訊通知糾正。

　但有醫療專家擔心裝置會帶來道德問題。雖然使用者同意被追蹤，但研究員擔心這種行為會入侵用家及其親友的生活。

　美國的癡肥問題嚴重，2/3成年人不是超重，就是癡肥。癡肥對小童和青年都是一大危機，他們長大後患高血壓、高膽固醇和糖尿病的風險會增加。

　■綜合外電消息

　■羅國偉　資深翻譯員

High-tech Fat-reducing Devices Arouse Controversies

　The fight against fat is going high-tech. To get an inside look at eating and exercise habits, scientists are developing wearable wireless sensors to monitor overweight and obese people as they go about their daily lives.

　The experimental devices are designed to keep track of how many minutes they work out, how much food they consume and even whether they are at a fast-food joint when they should be in the park. The goal is to cut down on self-reported answers that often cover up what's really happening.

　In a lab in this Los Angeles suburb, two overweight teenagers help test the devices by taking turns sitting, standing, lying down, running on a treadmill and playing Wii. As music thumps in the background, wireless sensors on their chests record their heart rates, stress levels and amount of physical activity. The information is sent to a cell phone.

　Traditional weight-loss interventions rely mainly on people's memory of what they ate for dinner and how many minutes they worked out. But researchers have long known that method can be unreliable since people often forget details or lie.

　The devices in development aim to be more sophisticated by featuring more precise electronics and sometimes even video cameras. Many emerging systems also strive to provide instant feedback and personalized treatment for wearers.

　At the University of Southern California lab, the teens alternated between being sedentary and active as researchers resolved the technical bugs. Later this year, some will wear the body sensors at home on weekends. If they get too lazy, they will get pinged with a text message.

　But some medical experts are concerned about ethical questions. Even if people agree to be tracked, researchers worry about intruding into the rest of their lives and the lives of those around them.

　Obesity is epidemic in the U.S, with 2/3 of adults either overweight or obese. It's a major health concern for children and adolescents, who are at higher risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes as they grow older. 　■AP