Background
Despite advances in healthcare, many working adults struggle to maintain a balanced diet due to busy schedules that leave little time for planning and maintaining healthy eating habits, leading to a reliance on quick, often unhealthy meal choices. Existing mobile health apps often prioritize calorie counting and weight loss rather than addressing broader dietary needs. The NudgeMe app aims to bridge this gap by promoting healthy, balanced and sustainable eating habits that contribute to long-term health improvements.
The App
NudgeMe is a mobile application designed to promote healthier eating habits among all working adults. It can be especially useful for those with a BMI over 25, struggling with obesity, metabolic syndrome, or related conditions such as metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD). The app uses the nudging technique, a behavioral science method, which encourages sustainable lifestyle changes through small, non-intrusive, encouraging prompts for behavior change.
Main Features
- Personalization: Users are invited to set personal goals and the app collects health data, dietary preferences and habits to deliver tailored recipe recommendations.
- Notification-Nudges: Using gentle notifications, the app reminds users of their personal goals related to healthy nutrition. Users decide for themselves how often they want to be notified.
- Recipe Ideas with Videos: Users access recipe suggestions with videos for balanced, nutritious meals, aligned with the Plate Model.
- Photo upload and comparison: Users can upload their meal and check the nutritious value of their meal.
- Progress Tracking: Features like personal goal setting, a to-do list and progress tracking ensure continuous user motivation and adherence.
- User-Centered Design and Accessibility: The app prioritizes a simple design, with intuitive navigation and options for personalization.
By combining mobile health technology with practical, evidence-based strategies like the Plate Model and the Nudging Theory, NudgeMe has the potential to transform eating habits and empower users to live healthier lives.
A project at the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences. Master Program Digitale Healthcare Project Coach: Jakob Doppler
