Attempts to manage body weight are often unsuccessful or only temporary due to antiquated dieting methods that attempt to address calorie consumption while ignoring metabolic and physical needs. It became clear to scientists at NIH, that there is a need to develop new methods for prescribing and monitoring personalized weight management interventions.
As a result, researchers developed a personalized body weight management system using monitoring devices and mathematical models of metabolism. The system uses validated mathematical models of human metabolism to set weight management goals and is able to predict individual body weight outcomes in the context of changing metabolic needs and calorie consumption.
The system uses repeated monitoring of a patient’s body weight to assess progress and then provides specific feedback to the patient and healthcare professional. Projected outcomes and body weight goals can be revised over time along with required prescription modifications to meet the body weight goals. The system is integrated into a network of one or more devices that may additionally monitor various physiological parameters, physical activities, food intake, or other behaviors.
The inventor is Kevin D. Hall, (Kevinh@niddk.nih.gov, a researcher at NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) in the Laboratory of Biological Modeling. He is looking for additional parties to do further collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize this technology. For information, email Marguerite J. Miller at millermarg@niddk.nih.gov.
The HHS, Reference No. is E-063-2012/0 and the patent application No. 61/592,325 was filed January 30, 2012. The information on this notice was updated April 2012. For further licensing information on the “Personalized Body Weight Management System Using Monitoring Devices and Mathematical Models of Metabolism”, email John Stansberry, PhD at js852e@nih.gov.
