SmartEater developed a mobile health approach to binge eating to benefit individuals suffering from Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Binge Eating Disorder (BED). The ‚lightweight‘ approach of SmartEater rests on infrequent tips for healthy eating and snacking, delivered to patients during individually predicted high risk times. Those times are predicted based on a period of ‘baseline’ data collection: patients complete app-based electronic diaries several times per day for 2 weeks. Based on their diary entries on stress, negative emotions, hunger, food cravings and bingeing as well as based on digital markers obtained from their smartphones, machine-learning algorithms determine individual high-risk times. As part of the project, the underlying technology was developed and iteratively tested in several waves of piloting with patients and with a larger sample of weight loss dieting individuals.
SmartEater can thus support patients with BN and BED in managing episodes of binge eating in their everyday life through individualized tips delivered sparsely but at the right times.
