Influencers are hopping on a surprising wearable trend that requires a needle do you need one?

Influencers have found their latest wellness obsession — and, once again, diabetics got there first.First, came GLP-1 drugs.Now, social media’s health gurus are borrowing another tool that’s been helping people with diabetes for decades, convinced it can unlock the secrets to eating better, training smarter and living longer.From fitness trainers to bestselling authors, influencers with millions of followers are embracing the trend and reporting back to their fans.

But some doctors aren’t convinced people without diabetes have much to gain.The device at the center of the trend is a continuous glucose monitor, or CGM — a small wearable sensor that tracks blood sugar around the clock.Designed for people with diabetes, CGMs are typically worn the back of the arm or abdomen.The sensor uses a tiny needle to place a thin, flexible filament just beneath the skin, where it continuously measures glucose levels and sends the data to an app or device.

For people with diabetes, the technology has been life-changing, helping them make decisions about insulin dosing, food and physical activity while reducing the risk of dangerous low blood sugar episodes.Now, CGMs are becoming one of wellness culture’s hottest accessories.

Last year, the FDA approved Stelo, the first over-the-counter CGM, opening the door for millions of Americans without diabetes to buy one themselves.Owner company Dexcom markets the device as a way to “track glucose 24/7 to become a healthier you” and has partnered with Oura so users can combine glucose data with sleep, recovery and activity metrics.Since then, healthy consumers have flocked to the sensors drawn by the claims that monitoring blood sugar can improve metabolic health, aid weight loss, boost athletic performance, sharpen focus and even help prevent disease by revealing how food, stress and exercise affect the body.

French influencer Jessie Inchauspé —  better known as Glucose Goddess — documented herself applying a Stelo...