Plate Pal

Project information

Obesity caused by bad diets is a societal health concern that has developed in the last 40 years. Today, 2 billion people are overweight worldwide, including 40 million kids under the age of 5. Our diets have changed rapidly; the annual consumption of sugar in 1700 equals the daily consumption today. In 1980 only 1/10 Americans were obese, today it's 4/10.

Historically, a good meal has been defined by the food on the plate in front of you and not by the person eating it. Most people have an idea of what a healthy meal is. We’ve been shaped by food pyramids and models of curated plates for the last 50 years. But the concept of a good meal isn’t something that we always agreed on. In fact diets and food pyramids have changed more often than not. Whilst us humans have remained the same.

Recent breakthroughs in nutritional science show that there is great individual variation in how we react to what we eat. The same meal consumed by two different people will produce vastly different reactions. A healthy meal for one person can be another person’s fast track to diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Looking back it seems we have been asking the wrong questions, trying to find a universal “healthy diet”. The one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition is outdated, and it’s time we adopt a more personalized approach.

Plate pal is a concept that aims to increase access to personalized nutrition. In order to foster better dietary health for more people.

Methods

Working with wearable tech it's been crucial to evaluate ideas through physical models. I’ve CNC milled prototypes constantly and tried them in a real world environment. These products are worn during long periods of time and during varying activities. Thus a good ergonomic base is needed.

Through interviews with researchers and scientists within nutrition a comprehension of the problem area was created and a focus was placed on blood glucose response in connection to consumption of meals. With continuous monitoring of blood glucose during extended periods of time a personal response profile to different foodstuffs can be created. With the profile, glucose responses can be predicted and personal recipes can be generated. Interviews were conducted with individuals that have changed their diets for health reasons in order to understand how such a change affects the individual.

Result

The result is a non-invasive modular continuous glucose monitor with an app that provides the user with AI based feedback and guidance based on the data provided by the sensor. The modular product can be adjusted to the user's preference, either worn on the wrist with an interface showing real-time data for a deeper connection or worn in a reusable patch on the skin for a more discrete look and feel.

I hope to guide people to a healthier lifestyle by providing personalized dietary advice in an approachable and sustainable format.