Zero / Simple apps

Zero, a company specializing in simple apps, launched an "Intermittent Fasting" tracker, marketed as a "productivity-algorithm fasting" tool. This digital product, available for an annual subscription of $70, repackaged traditional dry fasting schedules into a modern, tech-driven health trend. The app's interface and marketing presented these ancient practices as a new method for enhancing personal productivity.

The fasting schedules appropriated by Zero are deeply rooted in Hindu traditions such as Ekadashi, Pradosh, and Karwa Chauth. These are pan-Indian observances, primarily practiced by women, where devotees abstain from food and sometimes water for specific durations, often tied to lunar cycles. These fasts are not for physical health or productivity, but are sacred vows (Vrats) undertaken for spiritual purification, the well-being of family, or to honor deities, holding profound cultural and religious significance.

The appropriation was called out by cultural commentators and religious communities who noted the repackaging of sacred, lunar-calendar Vrats as a secular, productivity-focused subscription service. Critics highlighted that the app stripped these practices of their spiritual meaning, reducing them to a mere wellness trend for profit. The objection centered on the commodification and decontextualization of deeply held religious traditions without acknowledging their origins or sacred value.