Cell phones combat obesity

CNN is running a story about a new service in Japan that uses photos sent from cell phones to advise people about their diets. Members of the service take photos of their meals over several days, and nutritionists at the other end review the photos and respond with diet advice within three days.

This service replaces a written food diary, which people typically forget to fill in. And when they do remember to fill them in, they tend to underestimate their intake. Photos are more objective, although you still have to remember to take them.

I was surprised to find out that Japan—like most of the world—is experiencing a rise in obesity:

The Health Ministry estimated last year that more than half of Japanese men and about one in five women between 40 and 70 years of age—nearly 20 million people—were at risk of metabolic syndrome, a term for a cluster of conditions associated with obesity, high cholesterol and increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

As the CNN article notes:

The battle of the bulge is a growing obsession in Japan, a country that is slowly losing its reputation for low-calorie fish-and-rice diets and slim waistlines.

It will be interesting to see what kinds of gadgets and inventions come out of Japan as a response to this rise in obesity.

[Found via that’s fit]

Tags: obesity, mobilephone, japan, photos, food