Fitness trackers have become trusted companions in our quest for self-improvement, with global sales for wearables projected to reach $275 million in 2016. But when scientists compared 12 devices against controlled methods of calorie counting, they found these gadgets aren't always accurate.

From apps that count calories to devices that track the number of words parents say to newborns, the quantified self movement has far transcended Fitbit. But regardless of what you’re tracking, new research suggests it can actually demotivate, making what you’re measuring less enjoyable.

Technology enables us to record and track data on almost any aspect of life – from diet to sleep, productivity to fertility. But what are the implications? Canvas8 sat down with Dr. Jordan Etkin of Duke University to find out how quantification can sometimes suck the fun out of life.

The way people lose weight is changing. Out are the cardboard-tasting diet foods, awkward meet-ups and communal weight shaming, in are the whole foods, digital apps and sexy workout gear. But is dieting really dead? And how are consumer attitudes towards wellness changing?