Empowering Healthy Lifestyle Behavior Through Personalized Intervention Portfolios Using a Healthy Lifestyle Recommender System to Prevent and Control Obesity in Young Adults: Pilot Study Protocol from the HealthyW8 Project.

Background

Rising obesity rates among young adults increase long-term health risks, especially cardiometabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus. Digital interventions can offer scalable solutions to promote and support healthy behaviors by integrating personalized diet, physical activity promotion, and behavioral support.

Objective

To assess the feasibility, user friendliness, adherence, and satisfaction of the Healthy Lifestyle Recommender System (HLRS). Secondary outcomes will include measures of metabolic health and obesity.

Methods

A 3-month, single-arm pilot study conducted across European countries, including Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain, enrolling 351 young adults (18-25 years old, BMI 18.5-29.9 kg/m2). The intervention includes a mobile app for meal planning (Nutrida v.1), gamified physical activity encouragement (GameBus), and real-time monitoring via a wearable smartwatch device. Primary outcomes are adherence and engagement, measured through app usage and participant feedback; secondary outcomes include anthropometry, physical activity, dietary patterns, psychological well-being, and selected biomarkers of metabolic health. Expected Outcomes: Improved engagement is expected to enhance lifestyle behaviors, supporting weight management and overall well-being. Findings will guide future large-scale interventions.

Conclusions

This study will contribute to minimizing the impact of obesity in Europe.