How can technology help you match your weight health goals?

New healthcare technologies are developing at breakneck speed, but how can these technologies play a role in weight management? We dive deeper in this article.

The current state of Health..... or not

According to a recent study conducted at Tufts University, cardiometabolic health has declined over the last 20 years as a result of rising fat and glucose levels which have happened in combination with widening health disparities.

Apart from the shifting physiological trends, we have also witnessed the increased adoption of digital tools such as apps and wearables as a way to address health concerns and weight management.

According to the Global wellness institute, the global nutrition, healthy eating, and weight loss industry is a $946bn industry. Diet and nutrition as a segment will be an estimated $1.2bn by 2025 with an annual growth rate of about 5%

A Personalized nutrition approach that is tailored to an individual´s goals and behaviour will most likely have the best results in terms of weight management. 

Weight management in Digital health

Traditionally, the approach to weight management has revolved around counselling, group therapy, medication, surgery as well as a suite of diet plans and supplements. Even as an established industry, recent global events such as the pandemic have led to a shifting tide that has led to weight management solutions to become more inclusive, holistic, and mindful approach. 

These approaches are used as a standalone or in combination and thanks to digital, also via hybrid options:

• Diets - following a specific dietary pattern or plan such as Intermittent fasting. There is almost a diet plan for everyone who is looking to lose weight despite the fact that there is very little evidence to show that weight loss is more significant with one plan over the other. According the a recent IFIC survey of over 1000 US consumers, there is an uptick in the number of people following a specific dietary pattern (39% in 2021 vs. 52% in 2022), this trend was driven by consumers under age 50. The most common diets or eating patterns in 2022 included clean eating (16%), mindful eating (14%), calorie-counting (13%) and plant-based (12%)
• Telehealth - support via text, video or chat
• Apps & platforms (mHealth) - Plans based on feedback delivered via the app or platform
• Wearables and trackers- Devices that track diet and physical activity
• Meal plans and potions - Consumption of specific ingredients or products that have a specific target eg appetite
• Devices - Smart tools such as smart plates, scales and breathables
• DIY kits - for precision nutrition such as DNA or genetic test to identify specific high-risk variants 
• Online communities - Support groups for individuals who have similar goals and share the same journey.

This shift has been driven by global macro trends which revolve around digitization, personalization and advances in both science and technology. One advantage is that these technologies have become more affordable and accessible and can reach the masses at a click of a button.

There is almost a diet plan for everyone who is looking to lose weight despite the fact that there is very little evidence to show that weight loss is more significant with one plan over the other

Technology can be used in weight management for supporting nutrition in several ways:

Smart eating apps- Research shows that the best diet to follow for weight management is a calorie-deficient one that you are willing to follow for a long period. If you have specific dietary pattern that you prefer that will help you get there such as Mediterranean, Paleo, Vegan, smarteating apps can create a meal plan, recipes, shopping lists and provide nutritional analysis and track your progress in terms of the impact of your choices on your overall health and weight.

Image recognition apps: With these apps you can snap a picture of your meal, get a nutritional breakdown, you can send them to your health coach for feedback as well as recommendations for alternatives before you tuck in.

DIY testing kits: More precision nutrition approaches include the provision of biological data such as DNA, urine, blood or saliva sample that can more accurately provide a picture of your specific metabolic type AKA how you break down nutrients and therefore which dietary pattern/lifestyle/exercise type would suit you the best for optimal health and weight management.

Telehealth technologies: Here you can submit your online questionnaires, wearable data (OURA) for more contextual data in terms of the daily choices you make. This data is shared with a coach who can then create a personalized plan for you that you are more likely to stick to for weight management. Coaching can be done via video, text, chat or even your smartwatch. This approach involves a good understanding of Behavioural science and data analytics to make sure that any program is tailored to you whether that be gamification, incentives, education problems solving, group session etc. Everyone is motivated in different ways, so the right technology needs to be used for the right person.

Devices & wearables - Popular approaches are the use of continuous glucose monitors in order to get better insights into you well you break down foods as the research indicates that the microbiome has a huge role to play in how well you would respond to any approach. Meaning the better your blood sugar control is, the more likely you are to be successful in your attempts at weight management, however the science is still thin on this. Others would be smartscales that can transmit data to your healthcare provider

AR/VR - Think digital twins. You will be able to see the effect of your daily choices on your (near) future self. Strap on a head set and quickly understand what works best for you to help you stick to your plan as an educational measure. Soon you can connect with your coach in the Metaverse, get a personalised shopping tour with shelves lined with products that are only suitable to you as well as complete your exercise program with your fitness coach.

It is a sad and true fact that only 20-30% of adults maintain their weight after 1 year

What does the science say?

A recent meta-analysis and systematic review demonstrated that a digital approach is a good option to increase access in comparison to traditional clinics, but not as good as face-to-face support (Houser et al 2019) and better when delivered by an expert (Rollo et al 2020).

A recent systematic review and meta-analysis found that digital tools demonstrate superior weight loss however show limited benefit beyond 18 months. (Beleigoli et al 2019)

Whether apps have a lasting impact on nutrition and health behaviours has been a topic for decades. But another recent study demonstrated that digital tools are effective in changing eating behaviour, especially with regard to total fat, sugar, and fiber intake. (Villinger et al 2019)

Precision nutrition can take a variety of shapes and forms which includes some form of biological test. In a recent study individuals with lower microbial diversity had higher BMIs. Recent human studies have suggested that baseline gut microbiota composition could predict diet-induced weight loss-responses.

For instance, individuals who have a high relative abundance of Prevotella have been found to lose more weight when they are on diets rich in dietary fibre compared to individuals with low Prevotella abundance, however, a lot more studies are required.

What do we know about health outcomes?

It is a sad and true fact that only 20-30% of adults maintain their weight after 1 year. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis looked at the impact of digital tools as a way to assist in weight loss maintenance. The researchers found that web and app based solutions with minimal intervention did not provide superior weight loss maintenance over face-to-face interactions.

What is trending in weight management?

The weight loss industry is underoing a major transformation with in our view splitting into two camps. One camp are consumers paying attention to their overall health and looking for holistic solutions. The other camp, as Metabolic health is worsening across the globe, more consumers are looking for quick solutions. The GLP-1 drug (Ozempic) has taken the market by storm, providing a quick fix for those looking to lose weight. Weight Watchers that has been obviously observing this shift and started closing weigh-in clinics whilst has invested in Sequence a digital platform clinics that can prescribe obesity drugs. Jenny Craig a popular programme and packaged food brand is also closing its door after 4 decades. More medically focused companies such as Allurion have expanded globally with their balloon device and app providing behavioral change coaching and access to dietitians. In March this year, market leader Noom started offering a new service offering GLP1 drug therapies and coaching to employees. 

 These new developments have shifted the entire industry from daily points to metabolic scores and into unknown territories. We don't know what the effects are for this approach in the long term, especially where individuals do not have to change their behaviour. However, if we truly believe in a Personalised approach we need to meet the consumers where they are at and map out a journey that may require the inclusion of apps, devices, wearables and yes even drugs. This trajectory of metabolic diseases is not good and we need all solutions to be available to support consumers to get their health under control

In short

Technology can play a huge role in the weight management journey but even these need to be personalized based on the digital literacy, openness, willingness and preferences of the individual. 

In the near future we will be able to predict response through a precision nutrition approach as we learn more about an individual´s unique fingerprint. Future tools will need to address the lack of adherence and incorporate more behaviour change techniques.

References:

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