Better Health: Smart Health Commentary Better Health (TM): smart health commentary

Article Comments

A Robot To Talk You Through Your Diet

Agence France-Presse (AFP) is reporting that a new robot, designed to help people lose the pounds, will soon be available on the U.S. market.

The Autom from Intuitive Automata was designed to act like a personal coach, talking you through a personalized diet and helping you to stick with it.

From the product preview page:

You can talk to Autom™ for just a few minutes a day to help you keep track of how you’re progressing towards your goals. No two conversations with her are alike, and she’s always ready to give you encouragement and advice to keep you going. You tell her what you have eaten and how much you have exercised, and she remembers it all. Whenever you want to see your progress, just ask her and it is there for you.

In a recent randomized controlled study, we compared people using Autom™ to people using a computer-based system or a paper-based system for keeping track of how much they were eating and exercising each day. What we found is that Autom™ helps people to stick with their diets for nearly twice as long as with other methods. This is a big difference [and] could mean the difference between another yo-yo diet and a lasting change.

Product page: Autom…

More from AFP: Robot takes on battle of the bulge…

*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*


You may also like these posts

Read comments »


Return to article »

Leave a Reply

* Including links (URLs) in your comment may result in it being held for moderation

*

Latest Interviews

The Surprising Economic Burden Of ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

If you can read this you need to download a more recent browser It is estimated that as many as million U.S. adults have ADHD Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder A recent research study publication-pending suggests that the economic burden of ADHD on America could be as high as billion annually. I…

Read more »

Is The Adderall Shortage A Harbinger Of Future Drug Supply Problems?

If you can read this you need to download a more recent browser Today most- if not all- Doctor’s offices are strained by the shortage of some prescription medication or vaccine. A month ago President Obama signed his executive order directing the FDA to take steps to reduce drug shortages…

Read more »

See all interviews »

Latest Cartoon

See all cartoons »

Latest Book Reviews

Book Review: The First Step To Improve Health Care Is A Close Examination Of How It’s Delivered

My friend and former Chair of the CFAH Board of Trustees Doug Kamerow has written a book that I think you will like. Besides being a mensch and witty as heck Doug is a family doctor and a preventive medicine specialist. In his new book Dissecting American Health Care Commentaries…

Read more »

“Your Medical Mind” Explores Factors That Influence A Patient’s Medical Decisions

Recently I had a conversation with Shannon Brownlee the widely respected science journalist and acting director of the Health Policy Program at the New America Foundation about whether men should continue to have access to the PSA test for prostate cancer screening despite the overwhelming evidence that it extends few…

Read more »

Book Review: Food Truths, Food Lies

Food Truths Food Lies written by family physician Eric Marcotte M.D. may be the most refreshingly evidence-based diet book of the decade. You will not find a single mention of super-foods magical berries or supplement must-haves in the entire book. What you will find is the cold hard truth about…

Read more »

See all book reviews »