HealthyW8

HealthyW8 is an EU-funded initiative aimed at enhancing obesity prevention across Europe by developing a personalized, digital healthy lifestyle recommender system. This system tailors interventions to individual needs and preferences, focusing on critical life stages such as childhood, young adulthood, and older age, where the risk of transitioning to overweight and obesity is heightened.

The project adopts a comprehensive, multi-level approach that addresses diet, physical activity, and psycho-emotional factors. It considers obesity a multifaceted issue, targeting individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy levels. Innovative features include a novel biomarker assessment method, multi-component eHealth interventions, integration of psychological aspects, and the use of nudging and gamification techniques. These are supported by the Human Learning and Recommendation System (HLRS) and Human Digital Twin (HDT) technologies, which aim to forecast behavior and personalize recommendations effectively.

The consortium comprises 24 public and private partners from nine countries, bringing together diverse expertise to tackle obesity. The project aspires to reach millions across Europe, with an estimated 200,000 active users in the short to mid-term. Anticipated benefits include improved health outcomes, prevention of metabolic syndrome, increased life expectancy, and significant healthcare cost savings, projected at €5.4 million annually within the EU.

Recent developments include the launch of pilot trials across eight European countries, inviting participants from key age groups to engage with the digital system and contribute to its refinement. Additionally, the release of an introductory video outlines HealthyW8’s personalized, digital approach to combating obesity, combining nutrition, physical activity, and psychological support. For more information and to get involved, visit the HealthyW8  website.