Customized digital program prevents obesity among retirees
01-12-2021
The Dutch are at risk of losing muscle mass and gaining weight after retirement due to a lack of routine, exercise and a different diet. This group of people will increase in the coming years and with it the pressure on healthcare costs. The Digital Life lectorate researches lifestyle interventions and uses them to create a tailor-made digital program focused on nutrition and exercise.
Hurray for retirement?
When people retire, a lot changes, including habits with regard to nutrition and exercise. People often eat unhealthy food and exercise less. For example, they no longer cycle to work every day, a lot of 'natural exercise' is no longer available. Still, retirement offers a great opportunity and opportunity to improve lifestyles, as older adults are already having to restructure their daily activities.
Who doesn't want to age healthy?
How do you ensure that you give substance to your 'new life' after your retirement so that you retain muscles? This is essential for health and daily functioning. And what role does eHealth (such as applications and wearables) play in this? This is what the Digital Life research group is investigating, as part of the 'People in Movement' research group of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, together with Erasmus MC Rotterdam and five European institutions.
Never too late to change your behavior
This research, called SO-NUTS, examines how you can achieve sustainable behavioral change using digital techniques among and with people who are already going through a major change. What are the successes and where does it go wrong? A great moment to make healthy choices that have an effect on healthy aging and less dependence, even at a later age.
Benefits of eHealth
The use of digital techniques is a promising method to offer a personalized and attractive lifestyle intervention to a large group of people, while the costs remain low. Currently, there is a lack of effective, sustainable diet and exercise interventions for people who are retiring.