FDA Approves a CGM Talisman for Weight Loss
Yes, wearable tech for personal health and fitness monitoring is still with us, but it comes in waves. The first wave, with Fitbit, peaked sometime around 2017, judging from Google search interest. The second wave came with smartwatches. The Apple Watch launched in 2015 and interest in smartwatches peaked in 2020. Now the hot new thing is continuous glucose monitoring for all. This week FDA approved the first CGM system specifically for weight management.
The company that sells this system, Signos, has pulled out all the stops on their PR hype machine. CEO and Founder Sharam Fouladgar-Mercer says:
“This is more than a product launch – it’s a mission. Everyone deserves access to insights that help them live healthier, longer, more vibrant lives. Signos isn’t just about data. It’s about giving people ownership over their health and weight journeys in a way never before seen.”
This CGM talisman to bolster your hopes for a healthy weight will only cost $417 for your first three months.
What Exactly Did FDA Approve?
A look at the FDA clearance letter for this system helps if you want to cut through all the lucky charm talk. FDA has reviewed a 510(k) notification from Signos, signalling the company’s intent to market their system for weight management. The 510(k) process is a quick and easy route for permission to market a medical device that presents little risk of medical harm because it “is substantially equivalent” to devices that are already on the market. So FDA says, in essence, “we see no harm.”
We also note that Signos is not really claiming that their system will help people lose more weight or maintain a lower weight than they could without it. Just that studies have shown “an association between glucose management and weight management.”
As we know quite well, an association is a far cry from proof of effectiveness.
So if you have hundreds of dollars to spend on a CGM talisman for weight loss, have at it. It will probably do no harm to anything but your bank account.
Click here and here for breathless news coverage of this innovation. For perspective on the value of such tracking systems, click here and here.
Postcard Illustrating a Variety of Good Luck Charms, image from the Wellcome Collection, licensed under CC BY 4.0
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August 21, 2025
