Body Age calculation has become a frequently used health tool. This project investigates the use of Body Age technologies and explores its potential as a reliable health technology in the prevention of lifestyle related diseases.
Background
Sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating has turned obesity into the greatest public health challenge of the 21st century. Obesity has an impact on society and the individual. A recent report from WHO revealed that health care expenditures increase dramatically concurrent with the increase in adult overweight prevalence, now exceeding 1.9 billion worldwide (WHO, 2016). For the obese individuals, illnesses like type2diabetes and cardiovascular diseases will affect quality of life, frailty and longevity (Rueda-Clausen et al 2015). Despite decades of research into the field of obesity, effective ways to reverse the growing epidemic is still lacking. Consequently, prophylactic interventions using effective health tools are highly relevant from a public health perspective.
Project objectives
Body Age is an example of such a health tool and seems to empower individuals to be more proactive about their health and reduce health risks.
The Biological Age index is commonly constructed from a number of the most reliable biomarkers of aging (Karasik et al., 2005) which together with person´s demographics and fitness status provides the Body Age. However, even though BodyAge already is widely used in different health promoting interventions, little scientific validation has been executed. The algorithm and methodology behind is highly diverting and its applicability in practice as well as the reliability is questionable.
To address the above challenges, we want to investigate if Body Age is a reliable health tool in the prevention and intervention against obesity and its related diseases. Potentially take the first steps towards the development of a new and improved technology. To do this, we will investigate the following main parts of the Body Age tool; its ability to improve health behavior, its capability to measure risk of disease, the algorithm behind and its sensitivity.
References
- KARASIK, D., DEMISSIE, S., CUPPLES, L. A. & KIEL, D. P. 2005. Disentangling the genetic determinants of human aging: biological age as an alternative to the use of survival measures. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 60, 574-87.
- RUEDA-CLAUSEN, C. F., OGUNLEYE, A. A. & SHARMA, A. M. 2015. Health Benefits of Long-Term Weight-Loss Maintenance. Annu Rev Nutr, 35, 475-516.
- WHO. 2016. WHO/Europe approaches to obesity [Online]. Available here.