Assessing the Bite Counter

Assessing the Bite Counter as a Tool for Food Intake Monitoring: Phase II

This study is designed to test the usability of the Bite Counter in an attempt to reduce participants' daily bites while also increasing their daily steps.

Self-monitoring is an important component of behavioral management of obesity. The Bite Counter is a wrist-worn device which detects the motions characteristic of taking a bite of food or a drink of liquid, to provide the wearer with a cumulative count of bites and sips over the day. In earlier studies the method was shown to accurately count bites across a wide variety of foods, utensils and subject demographics, and to provide an unbiased intake measurement. The proposed work will continue to improve the bite counting method by adapting to varying eating rates, develop a self-managed bite count-based weight loss protocol, and perform an independent test of the protocol. An improved Bite Counter device will also measure activity (steps).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants must be between the ages of 18 and 70 (inclusive)
• Participants must have a BMI between 27 and 35
• Participants must have regular and reliable access to a Windows-based computer with an internet connection with USB connectivity
• Participants must be currently consuming at least 1400 calories per day
• Participants must demonstrate adequate compliance with using Bite Counter and uploading data during the two-week baseline period

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants must have no history of any eating disorder
• Participants must not have participated in a weight loss program within the month prior to baseline