AsianScientist (Feb. 21, 2025) – Until recently, 34-year-old Mayuri Rajvanshi who lives in Punjab, India, would binge eat almost every day. She would reach for a few biscuits while watching Netflix but end up finishing the entire packet without meaning to. Soon the urge to eat compulsively had become a daily affair. In 2022, when Rajvanshi was pregnant, she would often consume large quantities of sweets to cope with her fear of childbirth.
Fueled by anxiety, her binge eating habit would eventually take a toll on her health. She weighed 83 kg and had developed high blood pressure. Her doctor strongly advised her to reduce her weight—not just to address her existing health issues but also to ensure that she didn’t become prone to more diseases. Overweight and obesity can increase people’s risk for many health problems including type 2 diabetes, stroke, kidney disease and pregnancy problems, according to the National Institutes of Health, USA.
Rajvanshi consulted several nutritionists to help her manage her weight but merely having a meal plan on paper didn’t work for her. She needed a more effective strategy. Then a psychiatrist she consulted recommended keeping a food journal to gain insight into her eating habits.
While maintaining the journal, Rajvanshi searched online for apps that could assist her in tracking her food intake. But most apps she found were designed for Western diets and lacked calorie values for Indian foods. Eventually, she discovered HealthifyMe, a wellness app tailored to the Indian diet. She started to log everything she ate into the app. “They had calorie counters for all kinds of Indian food, from aloo gobi to sabzi to parathas,” Rajvanshi told Asian Scientist Magazine.
Such close tracking of her meals gave Rajvanshi a crucial insight into how much she was overeating and how nutritionally low her food was earlier. In 2023, she upgraded to another app that used artificial intelligence (AI) to suggest personalized meal plans, helping her monitor her consumption of macro and micronutrients.
Encouraged by the positive changes during her initial weight loss, Rajvanshi added regular exercise to her schedule, shed 20 kg and reached her target weight of 63 kg by January 2024.
She likens the app to an invisible partner who hand-held and guided her in her fitness journey. Rajvanshi is one of many Asians who are switching to technology to tailor their food according to their specific needs and lifestyle. The personalized nutrition market, which valued at approximately US$8.3 billion globally in 2020, is projected to reach US$21.4 billion by 2028, according to Glanbia Nutritionals, an Ireland-based global nutrition group, with operations in 32 countries. In the Asia-Pacific alone the personalized nutrition market is projected to grow from US$2.47 billion in 2024 to US$5.43 billion in 2029, according to Market Data Forecast, a market research firm based in India. Japan, South Korea and Singapore are major markets for personalized nutrition in the Asia-Pacific.
CAUSE AND EFFECT
The World Health Organization (WHO) has noted that Southeast Asians are increasingly consuming processed foods, shifting from natural grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables to processed carbs, sugars and fats. This shift corresponds with a rise in the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancers and diabetes. One in four adults in Southeast Asia are living with hypertension, according to WHO.
In order to help prevent such diseases and to guide people in Asia maintain a healthier lifestyle, digital wellness and nutrition brands are gradually increasing in the region. Today nutrition tech innovations are no longer limited to just how much and what people should eat. Bisu Body Coach, an app by Tokyo-based startup, Bisu, allows users to conduct at-home urine tests and receive instant nutrition advice based on the analysis of indicators like hydration, minerals, vitamins, pH, uric acid and ketones in the urine. The app also integrates data on sleep, activity, weight and glucose to suggest tailored recipes and supplement recommendations.
Singapore-based food technology company, Hoow Foods, leverages AI to transform unhealthy foods into healthier alternatives without compromising on taste or texture. For example, their product line includes Callery’s, a low-calorie ice cream that tastes like regular ice cream.
Manjari Chandra, a nutritional medicine consultant in Delhi, India, told Asian Scientist Magazine that the biggest advantage of nutrition tech is that it can be scaled up so the benefits reach a large number of people.
She added that technology today can map data from blood work and genetic tests to make personalized recommendations on nutrition. With smartphones, internet connection and a subscription to these applications, it is possible for consumers to access nutrition solutions even if they are in remote areas.
NOT FOOLPROOF
Despite ongoing advancements, nutrition tech still has its challenges. “It cannot fully replace the insight and personalized care that come from human experience and professional counseling. Human specialists bring a depth of knowledge and understanding from academic training and practical experience that technology cannot yet replicate completely,” said Chandra.
While acknowledging the importance of technology in countries like India where there is shortage of healthcare professionals, Chandra said that the data provided by most nutrition apps is often approximate and subjective. Nancy Sahni, chief dietician and head of the Department of Dietetics at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, emphasized that diet-tracking apps may fall short if users lack basic nutritional knowledge.
“Misinterpretations of data can occur without proper guidance from a nutritionist. To use these apps effectively, one should have a foundational understanding of nutrition and, ideally, consult with a nutritionist,” she said. Similarly, Priti Nanda, a functional medicine consultant in Delhi said, “Consuming 50 calories from broccoli is not the same as 50 calories from a pastry. Instead, incorporating a variety of colors on your plate might be a more effective indicator of healthy eating.”
Another challenge with personalized nutrition tech is that for it to be really effective it needs to be customized according to a deeper genetic and biomarker level analysis, which can be unaffordable for many people in the region. A genetic test in India can cost up to US$2,300.
Despite these limitations, the uptake of nutrition tech services continues to grow in Asia. For Rajvanshi, the AI-based nutrition tracker proved to be a game changer. She no longer feels breathless after climbing up a flight of stairs nor does she struggle to carry her daughter for more than a few minutes. She believes that the app alongside regular consultations with medical specialists has helped her maintain a comfortable routine of eating healthily and exercising regularly.
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This article was first published in the print version of Asian Scientist Magazine, January 2024.
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