Medically reviewed by Onikepe Adegbola, MD, PhD
With the advent of modern digital technologies, such as web-based apps, it is possible to better motivate users to follow healthy eating guidelines.
A new study showed that an app improved healthy eating in clinical trials by fully automating nutritional advice.
Scientists from the University of Reading demonstrate how the eNutri app developed by researchers in human nutrition and biomedical engineering helps people eat healthier. This paper was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. A study found that participants who received automated personalized nutrition advice improved their healthy diet scores by 6% compared to a control group who were given general healthy eating advice.
Dr. Roz Fallaize and his team carried out this research. A nutritionist or dietitian providing personalized dietary advice is ideal but is usually only available to people with health concerns or those with the means to pay. Those who cannot afford such expensive deals can rely on nutrition apps and web services. These are also becoming more popular, but most commercial apps tend to focus more on weight loss or calorie counting than healthy eating.
eNutri For Healthy Eating
eNutri prioritizes healthy eating based on evidence and has developed a proprietary diet scoring system to provide food-based advice that is tailored to the needs of each user.
Participants in an eNutri app trial take out an online Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). They were then reported with individualized dietary suggestions based on their eating habits. The report is prepared automatically and shown on the screen, with an introductory message.
The messages emphasize the most crucial dietary adjustments to make, followed by three additional modifications that the participant should consider. The eNutri app chooses the participant’s messages based on the lowest-scoring three Alternative Healthy Eating Index (m-AHEI) components.
The participant’s m-AHEI score is also shown in percentages and color bars on the reports. Scores in the lowest third are represented by red, while scores in the middle third are represented by yellow, and scores in the top third are represented by green. Intakes were rated as a percentage of the objective, as suggested by the m-AHEI. In other words, suggested food bars give a “Healthy Eating Score” based on a traffic light system.
Benefits Of eNutri App
The individuals either received nutrition advice or were advised to eat healthily. eNutri provided an automated assessment of diet quality, giving the user a score out of 100 for a healthy diet.
With the ‘healthy diet score’, users are assessed on their intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, red, and processed meat, earning higher points when they meet the recommendations. This app provides personalized diet advice based on the areas of a person’s diet. It tells people where they should change, stop, or eliminate certain foods.
Key Takeaway
Researchers are developing eNutri to meet the needs of specific populations, including those with heart conditions, and hope to make it available to the public shortly.
This app will be beneficial to those who want to lose weight or incorporate a better lifestyle.
It will be beneficial to people who suffer from serious health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
Reference:
University of Reading. (2022, April 25). Automated nutrition app can help people follow healthier diet. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 2, 2022 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220425121115.htm
