With its Health app, the HealthKit developer app,and Apple Watch features. Apple has focused a lot of its attention on the health and wellness field in recent months. Now the tech giant has filed for a patent (number 20190261669) for “methods and compositions to improve weight loss and cardiometabolic health beyond diet and exercise.”
It’s for a weight loss system that guides users in how to eat healthy and match their caloric intake to their physical activity. The system would, I assume, expand the features of the Health app on the iPhone and Apple Watch. Or Apple may have a completely new app in mind.
In the patent filing, Apple notes that portions of individuals in developed countries are overweight or obese which puts the individual at an increased risk for health problems. In addition, being overweight or obese can affect an individual’s lifestyle, including their physical ability to participate in certain activities, wardrobe choices, and/or the individual’s self-impression.
Here’s the (pretty technical) summary of the patent filing for those interested: “A weight loss system is presented herein. In one embodiment, the weight loss system that accelerates weight loss in a subject eating a caloric restricted diet with a minimum daily protein intake of about 3 oz. and engaging in daily physical activity equivalent to about 5,000 steps per day is presented.
“The weight loss system can comprise an effective amount of: an antimicrobial component that includes berberine, cinnamon and curcumin; fish oil; a probiotic component that includes Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., and Streptococcus spp.; an antioxidant, phytochemical component that includes apple extract, grape extract, green tea extract, and olive extract; and a vitamin component that includes vitamins A, B, C, D, and E. The weight loss system can stimulate a weight loss of at least 3% more than if not administered to the subject. Further presented herein is a method of facilitating weight loss in a subject and a method of improving the health of a subject participating in a weight loss program.”
Of course, Apple files for — and is granted — lots of patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Many are for inventions that never see the light of day. However, you never can tell which ones will materialize in a real product.
