Weight loss devices: They provide data to help consumers achieve diet goals, but it still won't be easy

Weight loss devices: They provide data to help consumers achieve diet goals, but it still won't be easy

I felt a special kind of awe, then panic, as I watched my glucose levels skyrocket for the first time after enjoying a cold beer on a sultry summer evening. It was a biological push notification from the fluid just beneath my skin that the carbohydrate-rich drink was interfering with my efforts to maintain my health and weight.

People with type 1 diabetes have worn continuous glucose monitors, or CGMs, for years to track blood sugar spikes and make sure they're getting enough insulin. CGMs are small patches with tiny sensor needles that pierce the skin and are usually worn on the stomach or the back of the arm.

Now a wave of tech companies are selling CGMs to the public. This made me curious: Would this work for me? What would I learn?

The devices, connected to apps with personalized analytics and meal planning advice, are touted as a behavior-changing path to better health and athletic performance, consistent energy and overcoming the dreaded weight loss-gain cycle once and for all.

For people without diabetes, tracking the glycemic response to meals can pinpoint which foods cause blood sugar to rise significantly, leading to a subsequent blood sugar crash and then lethargy. Excess insulin and glucose in the bloodstream can also signal the body to store the excess sugar, leading to weight gain.

The new-age health monitoring ecosystem extends far beyond CGMs, leaving traditional pedometers in the dust. A tracker in the form of an elegant titanium ring made by Ultrahuman monitors movement and sleep – and can be paired with a glucose monitoring patch. Oops 's wearable technology, which tracks respiratory rate, blood oxygen and other health metrics, can do this embed in a sports bra. Another device, the Lumen, analyzes the breath to determine whether the user is burning carbohydrates or fat.

The market for this technology is huge, from Olympic athletes to office workers looking to avoid lunch breaks. The nation has long been in the throes of what is often referred to as the obesity epidemic. From 2017 to 2021, an average of 26% of Americans said they were “seriously trying to lose weight,” and more than half said they would like to do so Gallup polls. And about 96 million adults in the U.S. have prediabetes, which increases their risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prediabetes affects people who are both slim and overweight, although obesity does Increase risk of diabetes.

Investors are taking note. Nearly $3.5 billion flowed into U.S. weight loss digital health startups from 2020 to the first half of 2022, according to an analysis by venture fund Rock Health for KHN. CGM Startups levels, NutriSense, Sign and January have raised a total of more than $140 million in funding, according to corporate funding database Crunchbase.

There is a lot of hype about all the data they provide.

Show on-line and podcasts often feature active 20-year-olds. They promise unique insights into how individual bodies respond to food, exercise and sleep in real time by focusing on metabolic health and how well users keep their glucose levels under control. “ We tackle weight loss by giving every body a voice " says CGM-based company Signos. A promo for Lumen shares: "You carry the secret to sustainable weight loss in your lungs."

But even though professionals in the field have seen “significant” results from incorporating these tools into weight loss programs, they acknowledge that no single approach appears to be able to do everything. For example, Eric Kusher, a chiropractic doctor who runs an intensive weight loss program Compass fat loss said he continues to rely on the human element and relies on the nutritional advice of his employees, not the meal recommendations from apps.

The level of reality is also important, said Dr. Nirav Shah, senior scholar at the Clinical Excellence Research Center at Stanford University. "If you're a harried mom trying to care for three kids and hold down a job, you won't have time to oversee and prepare the perfect green shake," he said. "You'll buy the dollar menu because it's easier and cheaper for your kids — and then you'll eat what they don't eat."

For weight loss and inflammation flare-ups, Sarah Schacht, a 42-year-old government innovation consultant from Seattle, has tried all kinds of health technologies, including Levels and Lumens. The generalized “eat less, move more” – wrong advice for many – didn’t work for them. The Levels app allows the user to log meals, exercises, and other notable events. combines the information with CGM data; and then offers insights and advice on how users can promote gentler glucose curves. Since starting Levels a year and a half ago, she has lost 5 pounds, her weight has stabilized, and inflammatory responses have decreased. But her body hasn't changed dramatically, she said.

"I feel like the few success stories I've seen, people who have radically changed their bodies, spend a lot of time on their nutrition strategy," Schacht said. “Not everyone has that mental capacity, time or budget.”

These devices are not insured, so the cost can be hundreds of dollars annually with appropriate subscriptions for the data. There is also little research on the effectiveness of CGMs in improving the health of people without diabetes, let alone weight loss. Without solid results, many healthcare providers are skeptical. Some experts also fear that the constant stream of data could lead to this disordered eating.

Dr. Caroline Apovian, co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said she doesn't see the use of an expensive CGM for someone who doesn't have diabetes, especially when new weight-loss drugs are within reach. Of course, these drugs will also have a high price.

“It’s hard work to lose 10 pounds,” Apovian said. “A CGM will wipe out your money so you can’t go to the gym.”

Most people with insulin resistance and metabolic diseases tend to be lower-income and minorities who can't afford CGMs, he said Logan Delgado Co-owner of BioCoach. BioCoach has FDA clearance for its glucose and ketone meter, which checks glucose levels and tests for ketones in the blood - a sign that the body is burning fat for energy. Its more traditional finger-prick technology keeps the subscription price at $30 per month while still letting people without diabetes learn about their metabolic health, although not with continuous data. The company has accumulated a huge fan base on TikTok where Delgado and others raise awareness about sugary foods and diabetes.

The CGM startups generally offer one of two CGMs: Abbott's FreeStyle Libre, which is cheaper and requires a manual scan of the sensor by a smartphone, or the Bluetooth-connected Dexcom G6, which automatically updates to a smartphone. The monitors will be made available to people without diabetes through “off-label” prescriptions because the FDA has not yet approved the tools for the general population.

CGM are Available without a prescription in Europe so companies are betting that the FDA will approve them to be available on drugstore shelves across the United States. That should bring down the price of the sensors, which can cost hundreds of dollars.

But already January says it can use artificial intelligence to predict a person's glucose levels after a user has worn a CGM for two weeks. The algorithm supported by published Research and a library of nutritional data, can then predict the person's glucose response to thousands of foods before the user decides what to eat, not after. This reduces costs and essentially creates a virtual CGM, he said Noosheen Hashemi, CEO of January. The company is launching a new version of its app in the fall.

Across the board, startups are largely working through the kinks, some still doing the research to back up their marketed claims and taking different approaches to leveraging the technology. A common theme for the startups, however, is to go direct-to-consumer first — aiming to reach people who can afford the concept — before ultimately seeking insurance coverage, he said Bill Evans Founder and general partner of Rock Health Capital.

The companies are also trying to add new twists to the way their apps use the data to achieve health and weight loss goals, each with libraries of informational blogs, lessons and activities. They range in cost from hundreds of dollars per year more than a thousand, with fees covering the price of the hardware, the subscription to full-service services and, in some cases, nutritional advice. The companies rely on long-term customer loyalty.

According to Kara Collier, the company's vice president of health, NutriSense has taken a more comprehensive approach, focusing heavily on building an 80-person nutrition team that works closely with customers.

Signos, which focuses on weight loss, uses artificial intelligence to set a “weight loss range” for customers based on their overall glucose ranges and fitness levels.

Out of curiosity, this reporter taped a CGM to her arm for 10 days and signed up for the Levels app. At first the measurements were shocking. As a person without diabetes, I had never expected my glucose levels.

Then I started seeing patterns that made sense: Drinking beer always spiked my blood sugar, but a bagel after a long morning walk kept my blood sugar relatively stable. However, avocado toast or eggs for breakfast were better alternatives. And a chickpea, tomato and turkey salad for lunch earned top marks.

Digesting data alongside every meal has certainly made me think more carefully about what I eat and when I exercise. But it also felt like a lot of extra homework.

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