‘Chasing the ideal gut’: poop-tracking cameras claim to give health insights. Are they necessary?

‘It’s interesting and fun to track your poop, but how many people are doing things that significantly influence the gut, such as eating enough fiber or being active?’ asks dietitian Ashley Oswald. Photograph: Hector Roqueta Rivero/Getty Images

You can buy a smart ring to track your sleep activity or a smartwatch to monitor your heartbeat, so perhaps it makes sense that health tech’s next frontier has come for your toilet. Behold: Dekoda, Kohler’s new toilet cam. No, not that type of toilet cam: this one only shoots pictures down at what is inside the bowl, sending the snaps to an app that analyzes stool samples and rates your gut health. The Dekoda can be yours for $599, plus an annual subscription fee.

Kohler’s new product joins Throne, a $319 offering from an Austin-based startup. “Throne captures stool and hydration patterns, hands-free and automatically,” the camera’s description reads. “Notice shifts sooner, fine-tune daily choices, and feel more confident, every day.”