San Francisco –
The boss of Apple has claimed that ‘sitting is the new cancer’, and promised that its new hi-tech watch will remind people to get up and walk around.
The Apple Watch, which will go on sale in April, monitors users’ movements and sends a small pulse to regularly remind them to get up.
The company’s chief executive Tim Cook told a conference in San Francisco: ‘It will actually tap me on the wrist to remind me to get up and move, because a lot of doctors think sitting is the new cancer. Ten minutes before the hour, it will remind you to move.’
But experts have questioned whether he should have instead compared sitting to a habit that causes ill-health, such as smoking, rather than a disease.
However, they agree that inactivity can do serious damage. The Department of Health calls it a ‘silent killer’, which increases the chances of heart disease and diabetes. A reminder to get up is not the only way in which the Apple Watch will improve your health.
The gadget, expected to cost around £300, will also count your steps, monitor your heart rate, and track health conditions.
If Apple were a country, it would be almost as wealthy as New Zealand. The tech firm has amassed £116 billion in cash – making it the 55th richest country in the world if it were an independent state.
Daily Mail