Japanese Use Cell Phones to Lose Weight

If you are wondering how many calories that delicious chocolate dessert on your plate will pack on, you may soon have a way to find out.

According to CNN, the Japanese are now experimenting with a could-be-new diet craze; in short, they are taking pictures of food with their cell phones and sending the pictures to a diet/image expert for analysis.

Weight gain is on the rise in Japan, and of course so is cell phone usage. When putting the two ideas together it seems only natural to think of a way to use one to help the other. Those Japanese that diet, or are overall calorie conscious, can now take a picture of a meal that they are interested in eating and send it to a nutritionist for a 'second opinion' of sorts. At this time, public health insurance offices in Japan are signing up people on a trail basis, mainly cardiac patients, diabetes patients, and patients already dealing with obesity.

Although the idea is great, at this point it is not an instant process. When patients send the pictured food to a nutritionist, it will take the nutritionist (or dietician) about 3 days to send the information about the food back to the patient. However, a picture of just one meal can be sent over, or even several weeks' worth of meals can be sent for analysis. Patients will then also have the ability to log onto a website which will give them further nutritional information about certain foods as well as upload pictures from their cameras or cell phones.

According to CNN, Dr. Yutaka Kimura also developed a similar idea. He came up with a program where five patients will participate, paying about 37 dollars to join, and 21 dollars per month after that. The patients will then be able to take pictures of their meals over a period of 3 - 7 days and will have the option of sending these pictures to a dietician. The dietician will then analyze the meals, making suggestions, and sending the patients back emails with dietary advice.

Japan has been a country known for its smaller waste lines, but over the past few years this perception has been changing. The Japanese have become increasingly concerned over their weight and the weight gain that is starting to place in their country. Diseases that go along with obesity have also become a concern for the Japanese, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and the potential for heart problems.

CNN, "Cell phone cameras help Japanese lose weight." CNN News. URL : (http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/biztech/05/24/japan.dieting.ap/index.html