From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

Fitness tracking, the benefits, and the unintended consequences.

Hello again, I'm Warren Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues Americans care about most. Wearable devices to monitor bodily functions now constitute a multi-billion

dollar industry. Fitbit, jawbone up and other gadgets keep track of your blood pressure,

sleep patterns, calories burned, and how many steps you take in a day. The idea is to develop

healthier habits, but the value of self-awareness has limits.

All that data can be overwhelming and compromised privacy.

Will tracking and collecting so much personal information give new power to insurance companies and government agencies?

Today's talking point, a military family at war with the stigma of depression. First,

here's the news.

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Hello again, Warren Alney, back with To the Point.

Wearable fitness devices are

big business sold as a way to develop healthier habits, but critics say the urge for self-awareness

can make users slaves to technology and that sharing intimate personal information can make them

vulnerable to exploitation. Today's talking point, soldiers who die in combat are honored, while soldiers

who kill themselves are ignored. You'll meet a family that lost one son to a roadside bomb

and another to suicide. They're trying to reform military culture. First is news update. Some of the

biggest health insurance companies in the country are proposing hefty bumps in the rates they charge their customers.

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