Pub Date : 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1038/s41430-025-01682-2
Mariel Keaney, Alexandra Jones, Eden M. Barrett, Daisy H. Coyle, Damian Maganja
Reformulation of foods and beverages is a key policy intervention recommended by the World Health Organization to reduce non-communicable disease risks. Our aim was to report on progress under the Australian Government’s Healthy Food Partnership sugars reformulation program since its introduction in 2021, using packaged food data from 2021 and 2023. 74% of n = 1694 in-scope products already met the targets at program inception in 2021. No improvements were found in 2023, with compliance slightly decreasing to 73% of n = 1676 in-scope products (p > 0.05). Only the carbonated soft drinks and energy drinks sub-category saw a significant change in mean sugars content between 2021 and 2023 (11.2 g/100 mL v 11.0 g/100 mL, p < 0.001). While limited progress towards reformulation targets was expected given the program is voluntary, demonstrably weak targets further compromise the program’s potential public health benefit. Stronger, mandatory interventions are required.
{"title":"Voluntary reformulation targets lead to minimal change in sugar content: interim assessment of Australia’s Healthy Food Partnership","authors":"Mariel Keaney, Alexandra Jones, Eden M. Barrett, Daisy H. Coyle, Damian Maganja","doi":"10.1038/s41430-025-01682-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41430-025-01682-2","url":null,"abstract":"Reformulation of foods and beverages is a key policy intervention recommended by the World Health Organization to reduce non-communicable disease risks. Our aim was to report on progress under the Australian Government’s Healthy Food Partnership sugars reformulation program since its introduction in 2021, using packaged food data from 2021 and 2023. 74% of n = 1694 in-scope products already met the targets at program inception in 2021. No improvements were found in 2023, with compliance slightly decreasing to 73% of n = 1676 in-scope products (p > 0.05). Only the carbonated soft drinks and energy drinks sub-category saw a significant change in mean sugars content between 2021 and 2023 (11.2 g/100 mL v 11.0 g/100 mL, p < 0.001). While limited progress towards reformulation targets was expected given the program is voluntary, demonstrably weak targets further compromise the program’s potential public health benefit. Stronger, mandatory interventions are required.","PeriodicalId":11927,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Nutrition","volume":"80 2","pages":"228-231"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145602466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zinc plays a crucial role in cirrhosis. Recent American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) guidelines recommend zinc supplementation for patients with cirrhosis and hypozincemia. However, standardized screening protocols remain unavailable, and routine serum zinc evaluation may not be cost-effective or appropriate. This study aims to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical impact of zinc deficiency while developing a standardized tool for its evaluation. This prospective study included 110 patients with cirrhosis attending outpatient clinics. Serum zinc levels were measured, and data on demographics, cirrhosis severity, complications, and nutritional status were collected. Participants were monitored over a 6-month period to evaluate clinical outcomes. Zinc deficiency was observed in 60% of patients and linked to new/worsening ascites (hazard ratio (HR) 2.8; 95%confidence interval (CI): 1.6–14.1; p = 0.021). Independent risk factors included female gender, non-hepatitis B/C cirrhosis, Child-Pugh B/C, and serum albumin <3.5 g/dL. A novel predictive tool, the Zinc-FANC score, was developed with the following criteria: Female gender (1 point), Albumin <3.5 g/dL (2 points), Non-hepatitis B/C (1 point), and Child-Pugh B/C (1 point). The score categorized patients into low-risk (score 0), medium-risk (scores 1–2), and high-risk (scores 3–5) groups. The high-risk group showed a specificity of 97.7%, while the low-risk group demonstrated a sensitivity of 95.5%. Zinc deficiency was common and linked to adverse outcomes. The Zinc-FANC score demonstrates potential utility in guiding zinc screening protocols in patients with cirrhosis; however, external validation in diverse clinical settings is warranted before its implementation in routine practice.
{"title":"Risk factors, clinical outcomes, and the development of a pragmatic zinc deficiency screening tool in patients with cirrhosis: a prospective cohort study","authors":"Narisorn Lakananurak, Phatcharaporn Chanwigoon, Warasinee Hathayamat","doi":"10.1038/s41430-025-01684-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41430-025-01684-0","url":null,"abstract":"Zinc plays a crucial role in cirrhosis. Recent American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) guidelines recommend zinc supplementation for patients with cirrhosis and hypozincemia. However, standardized screening protocols remain unavailable, and routine serum zinc evaluation may not be cost-effective or appropriate. This study aims to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical impact of zinc deficiency while developing a standardized tool for its evaluation. This prospective study included 110 patients with cirrhosis attending outpatient clinics. Serum zinc levels were measured, and data on demographics, cirrhosis severity, complications, and nutritional status were collected. Participants were monitored over a 6-month period to evaluate clinical outcomes. Zinc deficiency was observed in 60% of patients and linked to new/worsening ascites (hazard ratio (HR) 2.8; 95%confidence interval (CI): 1.6–14.1; p = 0.021). Independent risk factors included female gender, non-hepatitis B/C cirrhosis, Child-Pugh B/C, and serum albumin <3.5 g/dL. A novel predictive tool, the Zinc-FANC score, was developed with the following criteria: Female gender (1 point), Albumin <3.5 g/dL (2 points), Non-hepatitis B/C (1 point), and Child-Pugh B/C (1 point). The score categorized patients into low-risk (score 0), medium-risk (scores 1–2), and high-risk (scores 3–5) groups. The high-risk group showed a specificity of 97.7%, while the low-risk group demonstrated a sensitivity of 95.5%. Zinc deficiency was common and linked to adverse outcomes. The Zinc-FANC score demonstrates potential utility in guiding zinc screening protocols in patients with cirrhosis; however, external validation in diverse clinical settings is warranted before its implementation in routine practice.","PeriodicalId":11927,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Nutrition","volume":"80 1","pages":"113-120"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145586552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-21DOI: 10.1038/s41430-025-01688-w
Masashi Miyashita, David Thivel, Stephen F. Burns
{"title":"Physical activity and health: might exercise interact with appetite control?","authors":"Masashi Miyashita, David Thivel, Stephen F. Burns","doi":"10.1038/s41430-025-01688-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41430-025-01688-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11927,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Nutrition","volume":"79 12","pages":"1165-1166"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-025-01688-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145573349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-08DOI: 10.1038/s41430-025-01672-4
Mahtab S. Bamji
In every one’s life there are moments and events which are turning points and watersheds in time. For me personally these events have all proved to be happy ones which have shown the right direction to my scientific life and helped me to be associated with institutions and individuals that I cherish.
{"title":"Journey from science of biochemistry and nutrition to community nutrition","authors":"Mahtab S. Bamji","doi":"10.1038/s41430-025-01672-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41430-025-01672-4","url":null,"abstract":"In every one’s life there are moments and events which are turning points and watersheds in time. For me personally these events have all proved to be happy ones which have shown the right direction to my scientific life and helped me to be associated with institutions and individuals that I cherish.","PeriodicalId":11927,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Nutrition","volume":"80 2","pages":"135-139"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145470986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-05DOI: 10.1038/s41430-025-01676-0
Andrea Samara Audi, Ariana Ester Fernandes, Graziele Souza de Menezes Amorim Coelho, Aline Maria da Silva Hourneaux de Moura, Renata Bressan Pepe, Cintia Cercato, Maria Edna de Melo, Marcio C. Mancini
The global prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents is a growing concern, with significant implications for long-term health outcomes. Traditional weight loss programs focusing on diet and physical activity have shown limited efficacy. This study aimed to assess the impact of the FatSecret mobile application, a dietary self-monitoring tool, on BMI z-score (ZBMI) in adolescents with obesity, alongside clinical and metabolic parameters, body composition, dietary intake, binge eating behaviors, and quality of life. Sixty adolescents aged 13–17 years with obesity were randomly assigned to either the application group (balanced energy-restricted diet with daily self-monitoring using the FatSecret app) or the control group (balanced energy-restricted diet with a 3-day food record). Both groups were followed for 6 months with monthly consultations, and 34 patients completed the intervention. Both groups experienced significant improvements in ZBMI, body composition, binge eating scores, and insulin levels. Notably, the FatSecret app demonstrated comparable effectiveness to the validated 3-day food record in supporting weight loss and behavioral improvements. While the control group reported a greater increase in polyunsaturated fat intake, the app group showed significant improvements in pain-related quality of life scores. Adherence to dietary monitoring and dropout rates were similar between groups. The use of a mobile phone application demonstrated effectiveness comparable to the traditional, validated 3-day food record in promoting weight loss and metabolic improvements among adolescents with obesity. These findings support its use as a practical alternative for dietary self-monitoring.
{"title":"Effect of a mobile phone application for dietary self-monitoring on obesity in adolescents: a pilot randomized controlled trial","authors":"Andrea Samara Audi, Ariana Ester Fernandes, Graziele Souza de Menezes Amorim Coelho, Aline Maria da Silva Hourneaux de Moura, Renata Bressan Pepe, Cintia Cercato, Maria Edna de Melo, Marcio C. Mancini","doi":"10.1038/s41430-025-01676-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41430-025-01676-0","url":null,"abstract":"The global prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents is a growing concern, with significant implications for long-term health outcomes. Traditional weight loss programs focusing on diet and physical activity have shown limited efficacy. This study aimed to assess the impact of the FatSecret mobile application, a dietary self-monitoring tool, on BMI z-score (ZBMI) in adolescents with obesity, alongside clinical and metabolic parameters, body composition, dietary intake, binge eating behaviors, and quality of life. Sixty adolescents aged 13–17 years with obesity were randomly assigned to either the application group (balanced energy-restricted diet with daily self-monitoring using the FatSecret app) or the control group (balanced energy-restricted diet with a 3-day food record). Both groups were followed for 6 months with monthly consultations, and 34 patients completed the intervention. Both groups experienced significant improvements in ZBMI, body composition, binge eating scores, and insulin levels. Notably, the FatSecret app demonstrated comparable effectiveness to the validated 3-day food record in supporting weight loss and behavioral improvements. While the control group reported a greater increase in polyunsaturated fat intake, the app group showed significant improvements in pain-related quality of life scores. Adherence to dietary monitoring and dropout rates were similar between groups. The use of a mobile phone application demonstrated effectiveness comparable to the traditional, validated 3-day food record in promoting weight loss and metabolic improvements among adolescents with obesity. These findings support its use as a practical alternative for dietary self-monitoring.","PeriodicalId":11927,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Nutrition","volume":"80 1","pages":"96-103"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145451370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-04DOI: 10.1038/s41430-025-01674-2
Leanne Wang, Anna Rangan, Juliana Chen, Eric Hekler, Margaret Allman-Farinelli
Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) may address limitations of traditional dietary assessment methods such as high burden and memory bias, improving measurement in young adults with irregular eating patterns. This study assessed the feasibility (adherence, agreement, acceptability) of delivering EMA surveys at times personalized to young adults’ (18–30 years) eating patterns compared to fixed interval EMA. Twenty-four participants (13 female; mean age 26.0, SD 2.1) were randomized to start with either the personalized or fixed EMA schedule in a double-blinded crossover trial. Personalized schedules were based on time-stamped food images collected before randomization. Adherence was response rate and agreement was the proportion of EMA responses that matched with simultaneously collected food images and 24-h recalls. Adherence was 65.7% (SD 14.8%) and 66.3% (SD 18.2%), and agreement was 52.0% (SD 18.5%) and 47.7% (SD 29.9%) for the fixed and personalized EMA schedules. Beverages were most frequently omitted when compared against food images and 24-h recalls. Both groups found survey length and recording duration acceptable, but a greater proportion in the fixed interval phase reported receiving too many EMA per day. Personalizing EMA delivery to young adults’ eating patterns did not improve adherence as, on average, there was a similar number of daily surveys whether personalised or our predefined six prompts and variability in timing of eating occasions made personalizing challenging. Future studies could explore advanced personalization, such as wearable sensor-triggered event-contingent EMA combined with images or digital entries to enhance accuracy while reducing burden.
{"title":"A comparison of personalized and fixed interval signal-contingent ecological momentary assessment to capture dietary data: a double-blinded crossover feasibility study","authors":"Leanne Wang, Anna Rangan, Juliana Chen, Eric Hekler, Margaret Allman-Farinelli","doi":"10.1038/s41430-025-01674-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41430-025-01674-2","url":null,"abstract":"Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) may address limitations of traditional dietary assessment methods such as high burden and memory bias, improving measurement in young adults with irregular eating patterns. This study assessed the feasibility (adherence, agreement, acceptability) of delivering EMA surveys at times personalized to young adults’ (18–30 years) eating patterns compared to fixed interval EMA. Twenty-four participants (13 female; mean age 26.0, SD 2.1) were randomized to start with either the personalized or fixed EMA schedule in a double-blinded crossover trial. Personalized schedules were based on time-stamped food images collected before randomization. Adherence was response rate and agreement was the proportion of EMA responses that matched with simultaneously collected food images and 24-h recalls. Adherence was 65.7% (SD 14.8%) and 66.3% (SD 18.2%), and agreement was 52.0% (SD 18.5%) and 47.7% (SD 29.9%) for the fixed and personalized EMA schedules. Beverages were most frequently omitted when compared against food images and 24-h recalls. Both groups found survey length and recording duration acceptable, but a greater proportion in the fixed interval phase reported receiving too many EMA per day. Personalizing EMA delivery to young adults’ eating patterns did not improve adherence as, on average, there was a similar number of daily surveys whether personalised or our predefined six prompts and variability in timing of eating occasions made personalizing challenging. Future studies could explore advanced personalization, such as wearable sensor-triggered event-contingent EMA combined with images or digital entries to enhance accuracy while reducing burden.","PeriodicalId":11927,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Nutrition","volume":"80 1","pages":"79-86"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145437480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-04DOI: 10.1038/s41430-025-01675-1
Akiko Uchizawa, Jennifer L. Miles-Chan
{"title":"Practical applications and challenges of bioelectrical impedance when strict standardization of measurement conditions is not feasible","authors":"Akiko Uchizawa, Jennifer L. Miles-Chan","doi":"10.1038/s41430-025-01675-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41430-025-01675-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11927,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Nutrition","volume":"79 12","pages":"1233-1234"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145444234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-28DOI: 10.1038/s41430-025-01673-3
Ali Farajbakhsh, Seyed Mohammad Mazloomi, Mohsen Mazidi, Peyman Rezaie, Marzieh Akbarzadeh, Saeedeh Poor Ahmad, G. A. Ferns, Richard Ofori-Asenso, Siavash Babajafari
{"title":"Retraction Note: Sesame oil and vitamin E co-administration may improve cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with metabolic syndrome: a randomized clinical trial","authors":"Ali Farajbakhsh, Seyed Mohammad Mazloomi, Mohsen Mazidi, Peyman Rezaie, Marzieh Akbarzadeh, Saeedeh Poor Ahmad, G. A. Ferns, Richard Ofori-Asenso, Siavash Babajafari","doi":"10.1038/s41430-025-01673-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41430-025-01673-3","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11927,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Nutrition","volume":"79 12","pages":"1246-1246"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-025-01673-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145388225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Baby-led weaning (BLW), emphasizing self-feeding age-appropriate foods, differs from Traditional Weaning (TW) and Combination Weaning (CW). These methods influence dietary intake and growth, yet CW remains underexplored. This study examines the association of BLW, TW, and CW on energy, macronutrient, and iron intake, and their role in supporting age-appropriate growth. A 6-month prospective cohort study examined dietary intake and growth patterns in 124 infants aged 6–12 months. Feeding practices were assessed monthly using an infant-specific Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and growth was monitored using the Center for Disease Control (CDC) growth percentiles. Nutritional intake was compared to recommended values, and multiple linear regression was used to evaluate associations between feeding method and both calorie and iron intake, adjusting for infant and maternal characteristics. Compared to TW, BLW was associated with significantly lower calorie and iron intake, while CW was also associated with lower iron intake. Calorie intake increased with infant age but decreased with higher maternal age. Growth percentiles were highest in CW infants, elevated in TW, and slightly lower in BLW. Weaning method significantly influences nutrient intake and growth trajectories. While CW was associated with optimal growth patterns, it was also linked to lower iron intake compared to traditional weaning. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring nutritional guidance to support adequacy across feeding approaches.
{"title":"Association between feeding practices and infants’ nutritional intake: a 6-month prospective cohort study","authors":"Myriam Tabangi, Rachel Abdo, Mehmet Akif Karaman, Roula Barake, Sahar Nakhl","doi":"10.1038/s41430-025-01671-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41430-025-01671-5","url":null,"abstract":"Baby-led weaning (BLW), emphasizing self-feeding age-appropriate foods, differs from Traditional Weaning (TW) and Combination Weaning (CW). These methods influence dietary intake and growth, yet CW remains underexplored. This study examines the association of BLW, TW, and CW on energy, macronutrient, and iron intake, and their role in supporting age-appropriate growth. A 6-month prospective cohort study examined dietary intake and growth patterns in 124 infants aged 6–12 months. Feeding practices were assessed monthly using an infant-specific Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and growth was monitored using the Center for Disease Control (CDC) growth percentiles. Nutritional intake was compared to recommended values, and multiple linear regression was used to evaluate associations between feeding method and both calorie and iron intake, adjusting for infant and maternal characteristics. Compared to TW, BLW was associated with significantly lower calorie and iron intake, while CW was also associated with lower iron intake. Calorie intake increased with infant age but decreased with higher maternal age. Growth percentiles were highest in CW infants, elevated in TW, and slightly lower in BLW. Weaning method significantly influences nutrient intake and growth trajectories. While CW was associated with optimal growth patterns, it was also linked to lower iron intake compared to traditional weaning. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring nutritional guidance to support adequacy across feeding approaches.","PeriodicalId":11927,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Nutrition","volume":"80 1","pages":"28-36"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145388169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-17DOI: 10.1038/s41430-025-01670-6
Wesley Li Wen Tay, Rina Yu Chin Quek, Joseph Lim, Bhupinder Kaur, Shalini Ponnalagu, Darel Wee Kiat Toh, Melvin Khee Shing Leow, Christiani Jeyakumar Henry
Current methods for assessing nutrition are often resource-intensive, requiring significant time, financial investment, and specialized equipment alongside clinical expertise. This research introduces an innovative approach that emphasizes accessible, scalable, and efficient digital solutions by leveraging facial morphometrics and machine learning to predict essential nutritional indicators. The cross-sectional observational study involved 71 free-living Chinese adults (30 males, 41 females) aged 50–85. Utilizing widely accessible smartphone technology, 3D facial scans were employed to forecast nutritional metrics. The predictive performance of two machine-learning models, Random Forest (RF) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), was evaluated through ten-fold stratified cross-validation. The RF model outperformed the XGB model, showing high predictive accuracy (median r² 0.51 to 0.92) for six parameters: muscle mass, basal metabolic rate (BMR), visceral fat index, appendicular skeletal muscle mass index, total body fat percentage, and hand grip strength. The highest predictive accuracy was found in muscle mass (r² = 0.92) and BMR (r² = 0.88) indicating strong correlations. This non-invasive, economical technology presents a scalable approach to nutritional assessment with notable benefits for public health. The precise prediction of muscle mass and BMR facilitates efficient community-based screenings for undernutrition and frailty among older adults, while analysing body fat percentage aids in identifying overnutrition and related health risks. This digital approach shows significant potential for enhancing health outcomes on a population level through early detection and intervention.
{"title":"Real-time and digital remote nutritional assessment framework with the use of smartphone-enabled facial morphometrics and machine learning— a proof of concept","authors":"Wesley Li Wen Tay, Rina Yu Chin Quek, Joseph Lim, Bhupinder Kaur, Shalini Ponnalagu, Darel Wee Kiat Toh, Melvin Khee Shing Leow, Christiani Jeyakumar Henry","doi":"10.1038/s41430-025-01670-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41430-025-01670-6","url":null,"abstract":"Current methods for assessing nutrition are often resource-intensive, requiring significant time, financial investment, and specialized equipment alongside clinical expertise. This research introduces an innovative approach that emphasizes accessible, scalable, and efficient digital solutions by leveraging facial morphometrics and machine learning to predict essential nutritional indicators. The cross-sectional observational study involved 71 free-living Chinese adults (30 males, 41 females) aged 50–85. Utilizing widely accessible smartphone technology, 3D facial scans were employed to forecast nutritional metrics. The predictive performance of two machine-learning models, Random Forest (RF) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), was evaluated through ten-fold stratified cross-validation. The RF model outperformed the XGB model, showing high predictive accuracy (median r² 0.51 to 0.92) for six parameters: muscle mass, basal metabolic rate (BMR), visceral fat index, appendicular skeletal muscle mass index, total body fat percentage, and hand grip strength. The highest predictive accuracy was found in muscle mass (r² = 0.92) and BMR (r² = 0.88) indicating strong correlations. This non-invasive, economical technology presents a scalable approach to nutritional assessment with notable benefits for public health. The precise prediction of muscle mass and BMR facilitates efficient community-based screenings for undernutrition and frailty among older adults, while analysing body fat percentage aids in identifying overnutrition and related health risks. This digital approach shows significant potential for enhancing health outcomes on a population level through early detection and intervention.","PeriodicalId":11927,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Nutrition","volume":"80 1","pages":"104-112"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145312695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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