Fitness triage system and nutrition gets personal

• US 20020082144A1
• Filed: 12/11/2000
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerobics and Fitness Association of America
• Original Assignee: Aerobics and Fitness Association of America
• Inventors: Pfeffer, Linda
• Granted Patent: US 6,620,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

Fitness Triage® is a system and method for prioritizing delivery of personalized exercise and injury prevention information based on identification and analysis of user-specific health and fitness indicators. By providing answers to questions concerning key health risk factors, conditions, and habits, exercise information is delivered to the user based on the level of potential risk and other considerations associated with his/her participation in an fitness program. Based on the Fitness Triage® analysis of user data, the delivery of information is identified and prioritized according to one of three levels of potential risk. The user is thus informed of the level of risk associated with his/her participation in exercise, and the recommended precautions based on his/her individual health profile. The Fitness Triage® system is accessed by the user directly through the Internet or licensed Intranet, or through the guidance of an intake coordinator, personal trainer, or other qualified health/fitness professional.

Working in tandem with Fitness Triage®, Nutrition Gets Personal® relies upon Fitness Triage®'"'"'s screening indicators of health and exercise risk before posing its own questions of nutritionally-specific risk factors. Nutrition Gets Personal® provides meal plans based on a consumer'"'"'s nutritional goals, exercise habits and goals, following its own nutritionally-specific screening questions identifying health and nutritional risks which serve to modify the meal plans themselves. Information concerning nutritional risks is similarly delivered to the consumer, along with access to topical resources on the Web and general tips towards healthy eating.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus for delivering user-specific exercise and injury prevention information comprising:

a central controller including a CPU and a memory operatively connected to said CPU;

at least one terminal, adapted for communicating with said central controller for transmitting to said central controller, user-specific information selected from the group consisting of said user'"'"'s prior and current health, medical, fitness and nutrition conditions and habits;

said memory and said central controller containing a program, adapted to be executed by said CPU, for separately and collectively evaluating the risk associated with said user-specific information to determine whether said user may begin a nutrition program;

wherein said central controller receives said information from said terminal and outputs a statement as to whether said user may begin a nutrition program, and whether said user should obtain medical clearance before beginning such a program.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said memory and said central controller and said program enable a user who may begin a nutrition program to access nutrition information suitable for said user based information related to nutrition and health questions and appropriate answers, meal plans, nutrition tips and where appropriate, links to relevant nutrition-based Web sites.

3. A method of determining whether a user can begin a nutrition program, and, if so, for determining an appropriate fitness program for said user using a central controller including a CPU and a memory operatively connected to said CPU and containing a program adapted to be executed by said CPU for determining whether said user may proceed with a nutrition program, and, if so, for determining an appropriate nutrition program for said user, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting user specific information about said user'"'"'s prior and current health, medical, fitness and nutrition conditions and habits;

individually evaluating each of said health, medical and nutrition conditions and habits for risk level;

collectively evaluating said individual risk factors to determine whether said user may proceed with a nutrition program, and, if said user can proceed, outputting a suitable nutrition program for said user.

4. A data processing apparatus for determining whether a user may proceed with a nutrition program, and, if so, for determining an appropriate nutrition program for said user comprising:

a CPU and a memory operatively connected to said CPU, said memory containing a program adapted to be executed by said CPU, said CPU and memory cooperatively adapted to receive user-specific inputs concerning said user'"'"'s prior and current health, medical, fitness and nutrition conditions and habits, and to determine, from said user-specific inputs, the risk associated with each of said inputs, and the collective risk to said user from the risks associated with each of said inputs to determine whether said user may proceed with a nutrition program, or whether said user should seek medical advice before beginning such a nutrition program.

5. A method of determining whether a user may begin a nutrition program, or whether said user should first obtain medical advice before beginning such a program using a central controller including a CPU and a memory operatively connected to said CPU and containing a program adapted to be executed by said CPU for said determining steps, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting user-specific prior and current health, medical, fitness and nutrition conditions and habits;

determining whether any of said conditions and habits are chronic or acute;

individually evaluating the risk associated with each of said inputs;

collectively evaluating the resulting individual risks;

determining whether said user may begin a nutrition program, and, if so, with what limitations or restrictions, or determining whether said user should obtain medical clearance before beginning a nutrition program;

devising a nutrition program appropriate for said user by having the CPU execute said program and outputting said appropriate nutrition program.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising opening to said user access to databases including information appropriate for a nutrition program for said user.

7. A method for determining whether a user may begin a nutrition program comprising the steps of:

receiving user-specific inputs concerning said user'"'"'s prior and current health, medical, fitness and nutrition conditions and habits relative to an appropriate nutrition program for said user;

evaluating the risk associated with each of said inputs, and for evaluating these individual risks collectively; and

outputting whether said user may proceed with a nutrition program or should first obtain medical clearance before proceeding with a nutrition program.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of outputting an appropriate nutrition program for said user, if appropriate.

9. A data processing apparatus for determining whether a user can undertake a nutrition program for said user comprising:

a terminal adapted to communicate with a central controller that determines and evaluates, collectively, the individual risks associated with each user-specific input about said user'"'"'s prior and current health, medical, fitness and nutritional conditions and habits and outputs the resulting information;

said terminal being adapted to transmit to said central controller said information and further adapted to receive from the central controller a decision as to whether said user may proceed with a nutrition program or whether said user should first obtain medical advice before beginning a nutrition program.