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Weight Loss with an AI-Powered Digital Platform for Lifestyle Intervention

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Abstract

Background

Lifestyle intervention remains the cornerstone of weight loss programs in addition to pharmacological or surgical therapies. Artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies can offer individualized approaches to lifestyle intervention to enable people with obesity to reach successful weight loss.

Methods

SureMediks, a digital lifestyle intervention platform using AI, was tested by 391 participants (58% women) with a broad range of BMI (20–78 kg/m2), with the aim of losing weight over 24 weeks in a multinational field trial. SureMediks consists of a mobile app, an Internet-connected scale, and a discipline of artificial intelligence called Expert system to provide individualized guidance and weight-loss management.

Results

All participants lost body weight (average 14%, range 4–22%). Almost all (98.7%) participants lost at least 5% of body weight, 75% lost at least 10%, 43% at least 15%, and 9% at least 20%, suggesting that this AI-powered lifestyle intervention was also effective in reducing the burden of obesity co-morbidities. Weight loss was partially positively correlated with female sex, accountability circle size, and participation in challenges, while it was negatively correlated with sub-goal reassignment. The latter three variables are specific features of the SureMediks weight loss program.

Conclusion

An AI-assisted lifestyle intervention allowed people with different body sizes to lose 14% body weight on average, with 99% of them losing more than 5%, over 24 weeks. These results show that digital technologies and AI might provide a successful means to lose weight, before, during, and after pharmacological or surgical therapies.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our participants and their commitment to their dedicated time. Their compliance and dedication to our field trial were commendable. We would also like to thank Mr. Kannan Palaniswami for his efficient technical support and Ms. Helga Andersen for her moral support in completing the field trial and organizing the database.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DTx Research, Rasimo Systems, Raleigh, NC, 27601, USA

    Sarfraz Khokhar & Angelo Del Parigi

  2. Rockford-College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Rockford, IL, 6110, USA

    John Holden

  3. Health Wellness and Weight Loss Centers, Aiken, SC, 29803, USA

    Catherine Toomer

Authors
  1. Sarfraz Khokhar
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  2. John Holden
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  3. Catherine Toomer
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  4. Angelo Del Parigi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarfraz Khokhar.

Ethics declarations

Ethics Statement

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Consent to Participate

Consent from all the participants was taken after they had read the details of the trial, understood, and voluntarily consented to participate in the field trial.

Conflict of Interest

Sarfraz Khokhar is a scientific officer at Rasimo Systems where SureMediks is a research and development project. Angelo Del Parigi is a senior advisor for Rasimo System. Catherine Toomer is a medical advisor for Rasimo System. John Holden has no conflict of interest.

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Key Points

• Lifestyle intervention is the cornerstone of weight loss programs and digital technologies can enhance personalization, engagement, and effectiveness.

• An AI-based digital weight loss platform consisting of a mobile app, an Internet-connected scale, and an AI-based system to provide individualized guidance and weight-loss management was tested in a multinational field trial.

• A sample of 391 participants with a broad range of BMI, accomplished 14% (range 4–22%) weight loss over 24 weeks.

• Almost all (99%) participants lost at least 5% of body weight, suggesting that this AI-powered lifestyle intervention can reduce the burden of obesity co-comorbidities.

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Khokhar, S., Holden, J., Toomer, C. et al. Weight Loss with an AI-Powered Digital Platform for Lifestyle Intervention. OBES SURG 34, 1810–1818 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-024-07209-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-024-07209-1

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