Health Concerns

There’s a New Electronic Fork That Will Supposedly Help You Not Get Fat

Not the classiest-looking flatware we've ever seen.
Not the classiest-looking flatware we’ve ever seen. Photo: David Becker/Getty Images

A new electronic, Internet-connected fork (yes, you read that right) that vibrates to tell you you’re eating too fast or too much just debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The HAPIfork and HAPIspoon use sensors and a Wi-Fi-enabled app to tell people they’re raising the utensil to their mouths too fast or that their meal has gone on too long, and it vibrates like a game of Operation when you mess up. Now, we’ve heard the arguments about how eating slower lets you know you’re full sooner, but if you really need an eating utensil to tell you you’re binge-eating, you’re probably beyond hope. Some problems that are immediately apparent: This isn’t going to help if you’re stuffing your face with handheld foods like Doritos and hot dogs, and we can also see how this could cause problems for an easily embarrassed dieter who brings one of these things along for a tyrannic, four-hour tasting menu meal at Alinea or Per Se. You’ll want to turn the fork’s sensor off after the meal’s first hour passes by. [All Tech Considered/NPR]

There’s a New Electronic Fork That Will Supposedly Help You Not Get Fat