SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

• US 20120021388A1
• Filed: 04/06/2010
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JF Arbuckle Medical Pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: JF Arbuckle Medical Pty Ltd.
• Inventors: Arbuckle, John F., Arbuckle, Kelly
• Granted Patent: US 9,332,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/127
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/30 Dietetic or nutritional methods, e.g. for losing weight A23L33/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2200/332 Promoters of weight control and weight loss
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/025 with means for amusing or giving information to the user

Abstract

A system and method for weight management and loss is provided. The system and method regulate the quantity and constitution of the food and the system and method regulate the speed at which a meal is consumed so as to trigger a natural satiety response. In one aspect of the invention there is provided a timer (11) adapted to communicate with a subject during a meal over a predetermined time interval, whereon the subject in response to the timer completes the meal on or after the expiry of said predetermined time interval.

Claims

1. A method for assisting in the retraining of the stimulation of a subject'"'"'s satiety response during the consumption of a meal, said method comprising the steps of:

initiating a timer, said timer adapted to operate over a predetermined time interval;

instructing the subject via the timer to consume the meal over a predetermined time interval such that the subject completes the meal on or after expiry of said predetermined time interval the predetermined time interval being of sufficient length to enable the satiety centres in the Hypothalamus to register a satiety response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the timer is configured to communicate to the subject one or more eating and resting intervals within the predetermined interval.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the eating and resting intervals are communicated to the subject via a visual display.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the eating and resting intervals are communicated to the subject via an audible source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the audible source comprises a series of tones each tone within the series denoting an eating or resting interval.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the audible source comprises a voice synthesizer, the voice synthesizer being configured to deliver a set of messages delimitating the eating and/or resting intervals.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the display comprises at least one LED to indicate the amount of elapsed time within the predetermined time interval.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the LED is scanned across the display between a start and end position throughout the duration of the predetermined time interval.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the LED is scanned between the start and end positions at a rate of approximately 20 to 30 seconds.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the eating interval is approximately 2 to 3 minutes in duration.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the resting interval is approximately 1 to 2 minutes in duration.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of measuring meal portions.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of measuring portion size comprises segregating food groupings within the meal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the food groups comprising the meal include vegetables, complex carbohydrates and protein on a volumetric basis.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein 50% of the meal by volume is from the vegetable group, 25% of the meal by volume is from the complex carbohydrates group and 25% of the meal by volume is from the protein group.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of measuring meal portions further comprises weighing the amount of food to be consumed.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step inputting data on one or more attributes of the subject into the timer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more attributes includes the subject'"'"'s weight, height, age and/or gender.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined time interval is approximately 15 to 22 minutes.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein said predetermined time interval is 18 minutes.

19. A system for assisting in triggering a subject'"'"'s satiety response during the consumption of a meal, said system comprising:

a timer adapted to operate over a predetermined time interval, said timer adapted to communicate with the subject whereon the subject in response to the timer consume the meal over the predetermined time interval such that the subject completes the meal on or after the expiry of said predetermined time interval the predetermined time interval being of sufficient length to enable the satiety centres in the Hypothalamus to register a satiety response.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the timer is configured to communicate to the subject one or more eating and resting intervals within the predetermined period.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the eating and resting intervals are communicated to the subject via a visual display.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the eating and resting intervals are communicated to the subject via an audible source.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the audible source comprises a series of tones each tone within the series denoting an eating and/or resting interval.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the audible source comprises a voice synthesizer, the voice synthesizer being configured to deliver a set of messages delimitating the eating and/or resting intervals.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the display comprises at least one LED to indicate the amount of elapsed time within the predetermined time interval.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the LED is scanned across the display between a start and end position throughout the duration of the predetermined time interval.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the LED is scanned between the start and end positions at a rate of approximately 20 to 30 seconds.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein the eating interval is approximately 2 to 3 minutes in duration.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the resting interval is approximately 1 to 2 minutes in duration.

30. The system of claim 19, further comprising measuring meal portion size.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein measuring portion size comprises segregating food groupings within the meal.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the food groups comprising the meal include vegetables, complex carbohydrates and protein on a volumetric basis.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein 50% of the meal by volume is from the vegetable group, 25% of the meal by volume is from the complex carbohydrates group and 25% of the meal by volume is from the protein group.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein measuring meal portions further comprises weighing the amount of food to be consumed.

35. The system of claim 19, wherein the timer is further configured to receive data on one or more attributes of the subject.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the one or more attributes includes the subject'"'"'s weight, height, age and/or gender.

44. The system of claim 19, wherein said predetermined time interval is approximately 15 to 22 minutes.

50. The system of claim 44, wherein said predetermined time interval is 18 minutes.

38-42. -42. (canceled)

45-49. -49. (canceled)