Koo Thai Hau, Leong Xue Bin, Ng Jet Kwan, Tan Nicholas Kay Beng, Mohamed Mafauzy
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia.
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kelantan, Malaysia.
Malays J Med Sci. 2025 Feb;32(1):26-34. doi: 10.21315/mjms-08-2024-614. Epub 2025 Feb 28.
One in eight people globally, prevalent mainly in some ethnic groups and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, is a critical global health challenge of obesity. The telehealth system would be valuable in arresting obesity, with better access to care and a supporting digital community that encourages regular practice of physical activities, healthy diets, and health monitoring, all within reach and at affordable prices. Digital health interventions such as telehealth, mHealth applications, and wearable devices are new modalities for the treatment of obesity that increase monitoring of energy expenditure, physical activity level, and caloric intake. These technologies enhance the possibilities of therapy against barriers, such as maintaining motivation and improving the diet. This review summarises current evidence regarding digital health interventions for obesity management by considering and evaluating various global digital strategies to reduce obesity. The literature emphasises the effectiveness of eHealth interventions toward weight loss and maintenance. Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can predict and prevent paediatric obesity. By contrast, virtual reality (VR) applications can determine real-world behaviour in clinical practice. These digital interventions could increase the reach and efficacy of traditional weight management programmes by becoming more embedded in clinical practice. However, because of their broad implementation across different clinical settings, concerns regarding the security and privacy of these technologies must be addressed.
全球八分之一的人患有肥胖症，这主要在一些族裔群体以及社会经济背景较低的人群中普遍存在，是一项严峻的全球健康挑战。远程医疗系统在控制肥胖方面将很有价值，它能让人们更好地获得医疗服务，并拥有一个支持性的数字社区，鼓励人们定期进行体育活动、保持健康饮食以及进行健康监测，且所有这些都触手可及且价格合理。远程医疗、移动健康应用程序和可穿戴设备等数字健康干预措施是治疗肥胖症的新方式，它们能加强对能量消耗、身体活动水平和热量摄入的监测。这些技术增加了克服障碍进行治疗的可能性，比如保持动力和改善饮食。本综述通过考虑和评估各种全球数字策略来总结当前关于数字健康干预措施用于肥胖管理的证据，以减少肥胖。文献强调了电子健康干预措施在减肥和维持体重方面的有效性。此外，人工智能（AI）和信息通信技术（ICT）可以预测和预防儿童肥胖症。相比之下，虚拟现实（VR）应用程序可以在临床实践中确定现实世界中的行为。这些数字干预措施通过更深入地融入临床实践，可以提高传统体重管理计划的覆盖范围和效果。然而，由于它们在不同临床环境中的广泛应用，必须解决对这些技术的安全性和隐私性的担忧。
