The Pixel Watch calorie bug is a reminder of why ‘accuracy’ isn’t everything
by Victoria Song from The Verge - All Posts on (#65NB0)
Calorie data can only ever be a very rough estimate.
Like many other first-gen devices, the Google Pixel Watch has a lot of quirks. So far, early users have reported that the watch dramatically overreported calorie burn due to a bug. According to Android Police, the Pixel Watch team is aware of the issue and suggests rebooting the device could fix the problem. That said, it's an apt reminder that calorie burn isn't a reliable metric.
In the Pixel Watch's case, the bug appears to have impacted how a user's basal metabolic rate was calculated. Basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is essentially the number of calories you burn every day simply existing. It's calculated based on factors like your age, weight, sex, and height. If you put in the wrong data, you're going to get the wrong calorie burn....