Is the glucose monitoring craze really so healthy?

At £300 a go, the Zoe is a reassuringly expensive accessory. It has a recognisable logo and even had a 200,000-strong waiting list at one point. That wouldn’t be so unusual if Zoe was a must-have handbag or jewellery, but it is a continuous glucose monitor that you stick to your arm.

Some charities ask non-diabetics to donate their wearables to be reused by people who actually need them

Continuous glucose monitors have been available to diabetics for a few years, but now non-diabetics without any particular reason to worry about their pancreas are also getting in on the act. Like the fear of gluten a few years ago, glucose levels have gone from something only those with a diagnosed medical condition ever think about to a widespread obsession. There are many people who now worry that unless they eat a pear with peanut butter, or drink a cup of vinegar before their lunch, they might end up with elevated glucose levels which could have a range of damaging effects. The vinegar and peanut butter are suggestions, or ‘hacks’, from glucose influencer the Glucose Goddess, Jessie Inchauspé, who promises to help you cut cravings, get your energy back and feel amazing.

Glucose monitors are also part of the latest wave of dietary devices and health wearables. Gone are the days when a Fitbit seemed space age: now you can ‘hack your metabolism’ with a Lumen device (£250), a breathalyser for the health addict which tells you ‘whether you’re in fat burn or carb burn through your breath’. The Whoop (£27 per month) looks like a watch strap but acts as a ‘personalised 24/7 fitness and health coach’, with biometric tracking to tell you when you are recovering well and when you need to get more sleep.