SBIR-STTR Award

This proposal is in response to PA-07-436 "Bioengineering Approaches to Energy Balance and Obesity (STTR [R41/R42])". In this project we will assess a wrist-worn "bite counter" for monitoring food intake. Specifically, we will evaluate the device across different foods, liquids, utensils and containers to measure its utility for monitoring eating. We will create a bite database that systematically measures the accuracy of the device. If validated, the device could provide a novel measure for empowering an individual to measure how much he or she eats over the long term.

Public Health Relevance:
This research will assess a wrist-worn "bite counter" for monitoring food intake. Specifically, we will evaluate the device across different foods, liquids, utensils and containers to measure its utility for monitoring eating. If validated, the device could provide a novel long-term measure.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
This research will assess a wrist-worn "bite counter" for monitoring food intake. Specifically, we will evaluate the device across different foods, liquids, utensils and containers to measure its utility for monitoring eating. If validated, the device could provide a novel long-term measure.

NIH Spending Category:
Bioengineering; Clinical Research; Nutrition

Project Terms:
Algorithms; Attention; base; Biomedical Engineering; Bite; Calibration; Calories; Characteristics; Cues; Custom; Data; Data Analyses; Databases; Detection; Device or Instrument Development; Devices; Eating; empowered; energy balance; falls; Food; Frequencies (time pattern); Funding; Generations; Grant; Hand; human subject; Incubated; Individual; Intake; Laboratories; Liquid substance; Measures; Monitor; Motion; novel; Obesity; Participant; Pattern; Performance; Persons; Phase; Process; programs; Research; response; sensor; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; Small Business Technology Transfer Research; Software Tools; South Carolina; Techniques; Technology; Testing; Time; tool; Universities; Visual; Work; Wrist

Self-monitoring has been described as the 'cornerstone of the behavioral treatment of obesity' . Consistent self-monitoring of energy intake is associated with improved dietary adherence and weight loss and maintenance. The problem is that individuals are notoriously bad at self-monitoring their intake and suffer from an underreporting bias. The significance of the proposed work is that it will make a low-cost intake monitoring device widely available for use in behavioral weight loss treatment and research. Our innovative intake monitoring method uses sensors embedded into a watch-like device to automatically track wrist motion to count bites and provide intake feedback during a meal, allowing individuals to self-monitor intake anywhere and anytime. In Phase 1, the method was shown to accurately count bites across a wide variety of foods, utensils and subject demographics, and to provide an unbiased intake measurement. Additional studies show people will use the device long-term and prefer our method over a manual method. The proposed work will continue to improve the bite counting method by adapting to varying eating rates, develop a self-managed bite count based weight loss protocol, and perform an independent test of the protocol.

Thesaurus Terms:
Adherence (Attribute);Affect;Algorithms;American;Area;Bariatric Surgery;Base;Behavior Change;Behavior Therapy;Behavioral;Beverages;Bite;Body Weight Decreased;Calories;Clinic;Cost;Cost Effective;Data;Data Set;Demographics;Devices;Diet;Dietitian;Drinking;Eating;Effective Therapy;Energy Intake;Environment;Exercise;Feedback;Food;Food Selections;Goals;Improved;Individual;Innovation;Intake;Left;Manuals;Marketing;Measurement;Measures;Medical;Meetings;Methods;Monitor;Monitoring Device;Motion;Obesity;Oral Cavity;Overweight;Participant;Persons;Phase;Pilot Projects;Programs;Protocols Documentation;Psychologist;Public Health Relevance;Recruitment Activity;Research;Sensor;Solutions;South Carolina;Supervision;Technology;Testing;Time;Time Interval;Time Use;Tool;Universities;Web Based Interface;Week Trial;Weight;Weight Maintenance;Weight Maintenance Regimen;Work;Wrist;