EP2408362A1

EP2408362A1 - Method of monitoring energy consumption of an individual in an information system

Info

Publication number: EP2408362A1
Application number: EP10712889A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Indrek Saul
Original assignee: Kaalujuhtija Oue
Current assignee: Kaalujuhtija Oue
Priority date: 2009-03-06
Filing date: 2010-03-08
Publication date: 2012-01-25
Also published as: WO2010099798A1

Abstract

Method of monitoring energy consumption of an individual in an information system, comprised of periodically determining the energy balance of the individual by measuring body fat percentages (or body fat mass) at least at three consecutive moments of time and calculating change of body fat percentages (body fat mass) from two consecutive moments of time, and calculating the trends of the individual's energy balance from the changes of body fat percentages (body fat mass) and determining from the trend whether the individual is in the stage of burning or accumulating fat. The information system automatically generates recommendations for controlling energy balance based on the trends of changes of the energy balance.

Description

METHOD OF MONITORING ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF AN INDIVIDUAL IN AN INFORMATION

SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention belongs among the methods and devices used for monitoring the energy consumption of an individual.

STATE OF THE ART

Various methods and devices for monitoring human energy consumption are known in practice. Diet and physical effort planning decisions are made for the individual based on the monitoring results.

Patent No. US6719667 describes a belt training device equipped with electronic scales that monitor the change of the individual's weight, and the device calculates the amount of energy spent using the installed software. The results are displayed on the screen.

Patent No. US7285090 describes a device monitoring the ratio of the energy spent and assimilated by an individual using sensors attached to the individual's body.

The information is wirelessly transmitted from the sensors to an electronic device where the information is processed by the software installed in the device.

Information on the food consumed is entered in the device and the amount of assimilated energy is determined based on this information. The ratio of spent and assimilated energy is determined by processing the total information entered.

Patent application No. US20060253010 describes a sports watch that enables measuring of the energy spent by the user by using an indirect method, based mainly on the heart rate, weight and age of the user.

Patent No. US6506152 describes a method that first calculates the predicted body fat percentage change on the basis of calories consumed from food and calories spent, and after that calculates the energy balance correction factor based on the actual and predicted change of body fat percentage. Patent application No. US20020193702 describes calculation of the body fat percentage based on a bioimpedance measurement and the individual's individual data, setting the desired body fat percentage as a goal, determining the amount of calories to be spent based on the actual body fat percentage and the body fat percentage set as the goal, and determining the exercising activity required to achieve it.

The drawback of all the abovementioned solutions is the fact that the energy consumption of an individual, and the loss of body fat mass or percentage resulting from that, is determined indirectly based on the amount of energy (calories) consumed and spent, by applying the so-called Harris-Benedict formula, and the results obtained may differ from the actual results. These so-called calorimetric methods also require monitoring of the amount of energy (calories) consumed and spent.

Scales capable of determining the body fat mass and percentage are known, indicating the change of body fat mass and percentage based on two consecutive measurements (e.g. Body Signal scales from the TEFAL brand). The scales can easily give faulty results on the basis of two consecutive measurements - a positive result (decrease of body fat amount) is indicated based on a single change, but at the same time the trend of body fat accumulation continues.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for monitoring the energy consumption of an individual, which includes determination of the energy balance trend and fat metabolism direction based on the measurement of body fat mass (or percentage) performed at more than two consecutive moments of time.

To achieve the purpose of this invention the individual's energy balance (i.e. the difference between consumed and spent energy) is determined by the information system based on changes of body fat mass or percentage. The energy balance trend is determined on the basis of energy balance changes (corresponds to the direction of the fat metabolism). The individual's energy balance is determined based on the change of the product of the weight and fat mass percentage or the change in body fat mass. An information system and software are used to determine whether the individual is in a fat accumulation or fat burning stage, and based on these data recommendations for controlling the individual's energy consumption are automatically generated by the information system.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The figure depicts a chart of body fat percentage changes (continuous line) with the trend of the fat percentage change (dotted line).

EXAMPLE OF THE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment example of the invention the individual's body weight and body fat percentage and their changes are determined periodically as follows.

The individual's body fat mass or percentage from the first moment of time is entered in the information system. After that the body fat mass or percentage from the subsequent moment of time (for example after one day) is entered in the information system. The body fat mass or percentage change is calculated based on two consecutive body fat mass or percentage values. Body fat mass or percentage values from consecutive moments of time (daily, every two days, etc.) are entered in the system, and consecutive body fat mass or percentage changes are calculated based on body fat mass or percentage measured at two consecutive moments of time, and body fat mass or percentage trends are calculated in turn, based on consecutive changes. Changes and trends are visualised using a suitable method, e.g. graphically.

The individual's energy consumption is expressed either through two consecutive body weight and body fat percentage changes using the following formula:

Δ (kcal) =((K| x Ri) - (Kj₊₁ x R₁₊₁)) x 7000, where K, and Ri and Kj+i and Rj₊i are the individual's body weight K and body fat percentage R measured during the previous and subsequent periods, respectively, or based directly on the fat mass:

Δ M =Mj - Mi+₁, where M₁ and M_i+i are the individual's body fat mass measured during the previous and subsequent periods, respectively.

The body fat mass or percentage is determined with the help of any method known from the state of the art, for example the liquid method or bioimpedance method, using, e.g. scales equipped with the corresponding function (e.g. TEFAL Body Signal). As the changes of body fat percentage and not its absolute value are essential for this method, the occurrence of a relatively large absolute error when using the bioimpedance method to determine body fat percentage is not important (assuming the random error is sufficiently small).

In addition to the individual's body fat percentage other data are also entered in the information system, and based on these data individual weight control recommendations are offered, for example body weight, the individual's sex, date of birth, and height, as well as the description of the individual's behaviour and exercising habits, and the individual's goals and deadlines for achieving the change of body weight (and body fat percentage), and also the data pertaining to the individual's physiological and emotional condition.

The method comprises determining of the energy consumption trend based on several consecutive body fat percentage changes or the energy balance (see Figure). According to one version the linear trend is determined. According to the second method the energy consumption trend and trend change are determined based on the consecutive changes of the energy balance. An earlier change of the energy balance (the first change) and the following change (the second change) are considered. If the direction of the second change differs from that of the first change this could be a potential trend changing point (reversing point, PP). After that the third change following the second change is considered. If the direction of the third change coincides with that of the second change the trend has reversed. If, however, the direction of the third change differs from that of the second change, and its absolute value is greater the point cannot be considered a potential reversing point, and the recent trend continues. If the direction of the third change differs from that of the second change but its absolute value is smaller, and the increase during the last day and the last but one day is less than the slope of the linearly interpolated trend line calculated on the basis of the previous reversing point then an opposite direction trend started from the previous potential reversing point, i.e. a new potential reversing point was created. In that case the fourth change following the third change is used to determine whether the point in question was a potential reversing point. If, however, the increase exceeds the slope of the trend, the recent trend continues.

In addition to that the factor analysis of the energy balance change could be performed to assess the impact of eating and exercising habits on the change of the energy balance.

Descriptions of the individual's activities during the period are periodically entered in the information system, including data on the individual's energy consumption control achievements and mistakes, and the individual's emotional condition.

When the system identifies essential positive or negative changes, it gathers information on possible related activities, and periodically analyses the main causes of large energy consumption excess and deficiency. According to one version the individual's activities are entered in the information system with the same frequency as the body weight and body fat percentage data (e.g. daily).

According to another version the individual's activities are entered in the system associated with (especially) more extensive changes.

The individual's activities for the next period are planned by the information system and the user, effectiveness of the measures applied is measured, possible weight control mistakes are forecast, measures to avoid the mistakes are planned, and recommendations for controlling the energy consumption are offered, based on the individual's goals, the changes of the energy balance, and the achievements and mistakes of energy consumption control. According to one embodiment example of the invention the individual's body weight and body fat percentage are automatically transmitted from the corresponding measuring device (electronic scales) to the information system via a communications channel. The communications channel could be any of the known communications channels, e.g. LAN, Bluetooth, WiFi network, infrared connection, etc. The information system may reside in a personal computer, handheld computer, mobile phone either partially or in full, or be available via the Internet or intranet. The information system may reside in the measuring device partially or in full, e.g. in the scales.

Claims

1. Method of monitoring an individual's energy consumption in an information system, comprising periodically determining the individual's amount of body fat, characterized in that the amount of body fat is entered in the information system at least on three consecutive moments of time, and the change of the body fat amount is calculated based on the amount of body fat measured at two consecutive moments of time, the individual's energy balance is calculated based on the change of the body fat amount, and energy balance changes are calculated based on two consecutive energy balance values, whereas the amount of body fat is determined either as the body fat mass or body fat percentage.

2. Method according to claim 1 , where the energy balance is calculated at least on four consecutive days by the information system, and the energy balance trend is calculated, and possible trend changes are determined.

3. Method according to claim 2, where the information system determines that the individual is in fat accumulation stage, if the energy balance value is positive, and that the individual is in fat burning stage, if the energy balance value is negative, and recommendations for controlling the energy consumption are generated by the information system depending on that.

4. Method according to claim 3, where the information system performs the factor analysis of the energy balance change to determine the impact of eating and exercising habits on the change of the energy balance.

5. Method according to claim 4, where the individual's activities for the next period are planned by the information system, potential weight control mistakes are forecast, measures to avoid mistakes are planned, and recommendations for controlling energy consumption are offered.

6. Method according to claims 1 to 5, where permanent data describing the individual's physiology, the individual's behaviour and exercising habits, and the individual's goals and deadlines for body fat percentage and body weight changes are entered in the information system.

7. Method according to claims 1 to 6, where descriptions of the individual's period are periodically entered in the information system, including data on the individual's diet mistakes, physical activities, and physiological and emotional condition.

8. Method according to claims 1 to 7, where the body fat data are entered in the information system automatically from the measuring device via an appropriate communications channel.

9. Method according to claim 8, where wireless communications connection is used as the communications channel.

10. Method according to claims 1 to 9, where the measuring device and the information system are connected over the Internet.

11. Method according to claims 1 to 10, where the energy balance is calculated using the formula...

Δ (kcal) =((K| x Ri) - (Kj₊₁ x R₁₊₁)) x 7000,

where Kj and Rj and Kj+i and R₁₊₁ are the individual's body weight K and body fat percentage R measured during the previous and subsequent periods.