HealthyW8_60+ Pilot

The number of people struggling with overweight and obesity continues to grow in most countries worldwide, despite varied measures trying to limit the further progress of this pandemic. In Luxembourg, at present, about 26% of the adult population is considered as having obesity(BMI\>30 kg/m²), and the associated health costs have been estimated at 1.4% of the GDP or about 930 Mio. USD for Luxembourg. Similar numbers are prevalent in other European countries. The ongoing problem of high obesity rates has resulted in the creation of a pan-European project HealthyW8 (www.healthyw8.eu), funded by the European Union and in which the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) is the coordinator. The study described in this application is therefore motivated by the project's main objectives, which entails, among other, a total of 22 pilot trials in various European countries to be conducted. This application concerns only the activities planned in Luxembourg. With the HealthyW8\_65+ Pilot project, investigators have focused on population groups at risk of developing obesity, due to undergoing transitions in their lifestyle. Among the populations at risk are older adults as, categorized as having an age of equal to or above 65 years. As emphasized in the literature, older adults constitute a growing fraction of our society, with likely high associated healthcare costs, whose change to a more sedentary lifestyle upon retirement adds an additional risk factor, especially for sarcopenic obesity and related comorbidities, i.e., low muscle mass and consequences. As innovative solutions to combat the trend toward increasing overweight and obesity in our society are much in need, the present study aims to employ the developed healthy lifestyle recommender solution (HLRS), which is at the center of a digital application for mobile phones. This HLRS intends to address various factors known to constitute main risks for developing obesity, including dietary patterns, physical activity (PA), and psychological/behavioral ones, among other lifestyle factors, such as sleep patterns, while also considering socio-demographic aspects. Our approach addresses several of the shortcomings of existing apps by catering to individuals with low interest in healthy lifestyles and try to motivate them via nudges and gamifications and organized information sessions to participate. The pilot study will primarily focus on usability and user experience of the HLRS. An accurate assessment of food intake will be ensured through validated semi-quantitative FFQs and user feedback from the HLRS regarding meals that have been consumed. It is important to note, however, that there will be a secondary outcome, i.e. to test the operational feasibility of the study. This includes collecting biological samples, their measuring and shipment to partners outside Luxembourg. This is important, as this pilot study will be followed by a long term study, i.e. employing the same developed HLRS, but then targeting rather metabolic changes.