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“It's difficult to trek through a day without reading a headline about people getting fatter and unhealthier. More than one-third of American adults are now categorized as obese. Not only does this impact the state of overall health care, it costs businesses a chunk of money through higher health insurance premiums,” according to CIO Insight.

“But now technology is coming to the rescue. A growing number of employers are turning to fitness trackers such as the Fitbit and Jawbone to augment their wellness programs. The goal? Motivate employees to lose weight and be healthier. In some cases, this can result in a cost reduction in the thousands of dollars per employee. As a result, some firms are trimming hundreds of thousands of dollars from their annual bill.”

“The concept works like this: an employer offers a fitness tracker for free or at a reduced cost, an employee wears it and presumably exercises. If the person hits predetermined goals, he or she sees a reduction in the premium or the copay… But the concept also treads into controversial waters. Privacy advocates are alarmed and dismayed by the growing ability to collect personal data.”

“The critical issue—and something that will be a theme across all facets of business over the next decade—is that society, and CIOs, must find ways to use technology to benefit a business, employees, partners and customer—without stepping over any ethical lines. Technology should reward, not punish, individuals. Push too far or abuse private data and you're likely to see some very healthy pushback.”