Weight control system with meal plan and journal

• US 8,595,023 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2004
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WW.com LLC (WW International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Weight Watchers International Incorporated (Artal Group SA), Weightwatchers.com Incorporated (WW International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kirchhoff, David, Connelly, Lisa, Crook, Anna, Kelly, Sheila, Miller-Kovach, Karen, Perl, Amie, Posillico, Palma, Semmelbauer, Thilo, Sheppard, Amy
• Primary Examiner(s): KELLEY, HEIDI RIVIERE
• Application Number:
  US10/797,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20040171925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,548 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/1.1, 705/2, 600/300, 235/462.46
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4146 for controlling caloric intake, e.g. diet control
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3742 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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 70/60 relating to pathologies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/921 Diet management

Abstract

A weight control software system and method may provide an interactive software environment to a user via a network to enhance the ability of users to follow a weight control program. The weight control software system may generate meal plans that are automatically updated based on an updated weight of the user following the weight control program. A variety of tools may be integrated into the weight control software system and be interoperable to utilize information entered by the user or generated by the system in controlling body weight of the user. Such tools may include journal and meal planning functionality.

Claims

1. A method for controlling body weight utilized by an online personalized weight control program, comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, identification of a user, wherein the identification of the user comprising an initial profile representative of characteristics of the user comprising a initial weight of the user;

providing, by the computer system, based at least in part on the initial profile associated with the user, at least one first dietary recommendation, wherein the at least one first dietary recommendation is based at least in part on the initial weight of the user and comprising, for at least one first food, a first quantity, a first type, or a combination thereof, which is recommended to control body weight of the user;

providing, by the computer system, a plurality of interoperable selectable weight control elements for access by the user to personalize the at least one first dietary recommendation;

forming, by the computer system, a dataset based on the initial profile associated of the user and the at least one first dietary recommendation personalized by the user;

receiving, by the computer system, an updated data associated with the user, wherein the updated data comprising an updated weight of the user;

automatically updating, by the computer system, the dataset in accordance with the received updated data such that based in part on the updated weight of the user, the at least one first dietary recommendation personalized by the user is automatically updated in the first quantity, the first type, or the combination thereof;

automatically altering, by the computer system, at least one second dietary recommendation to be provided to the user, wherein the at least one second dietary recommendation is based at least in part on the updated weight of the user from the updated dataset and comprising, for at least one second food, a second quantity, a second type, or a combination thereof, which is recommended to control body weight of the user; and

storing, by the computer system, the updated dataset, wherein the updated dataset comprising the at least one second dietary recommendation and being utilized by the user to control body weight.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of interoperable selectable weight control elements include at least one of food and exercise items.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forming of the dataset is a function of a predetermined set of rules operable to control weight.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first and second dietary recommendations comprising predetermined meals each having a total food value associated therewith.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of interoperable selectable weight control elements include a journal interface operable to provide a daily listing of foods for consumption in accordance with the personalized weight control program.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the foods are alterable to establish a different daily listing of foods for consumption.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising crediting future daily listings based on a total food value of the daily listing being below a target value.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the target value is a maximum number of values as a function of food consumption and activities allotted by the weight control program.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said crediting is performed for a predetermined number of days.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computer system, from the user, at least one recipe, comprising a plurality of ingredients; and

automatically updating, by the computer system, based on the updated dataset, information on what quantity of a meal made in accordance with the at least one recipe is appropriate to control body weight of the user.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving login information from the user; and

allowing, based at least in part on the login information, the user to access a community of users of the online personalized weight control program and to share the received at least one recipe with the community of users of the online personalized weight control program.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one shared recipe is associated with at least one portion of information from the updated dataset of the profile of the user and wherein the at least one portion of information is shared with the community of users of the online personalized weight control program.

13. A computer system for controlling body weight to support an online personalized weight control program, comprising:

i) non-transient computer memory having at least one region for storing computer executable program code; and

ii) at least one processor for executing the program code stored in the non-transient memory, wherein the program code comprising;

software code to receive identification of a user, wherein the identification of the user comprising an initial profile representative of characteristics of the user comprising a initial weight of the user;

software code to provide, based at least in part on the initial profile associated with the user, at least one first dietary recommendation, wherein the at least one first dietary recommendation is based at least in part on the initial weight of the user and comprising, for at least one first food, a first quantity, a first type, or a combination thereof, which is recommended to control body weight of the user;

software code to provide a plurality of interoperable selectable weight control elements for access by the user to personalize the at least one first dietary recommendation;

software code to form, by a computer system, a dataset based on the initial profile associated of the user and the at least one first dietary recommendation personalized by the user;

software code to receive an updated data associated with the user, wherein the updated data comprising an updated weight of the user;

software code to automatically update the dataset in accordance with the received updated data such that, based in part on the updated weight of the user, the at least one first dietary recommendation personalized by the user is automatically updated in the first quantity, the first type, or the combination thereof;

software code to automatically alter at least one second dietary recommendation to be provided to the user, wherein the at least one second dietary recommendation is based at least in part on the updated weight of the user from the updated dataset and comprising, for at least one second food, a second quantity, a second type, or a combination thereof, which is recommended to control body weight of the user; and

software code to store the updated dataset, wherein the updated dataset comprising the at least one second dietary recommendation and being utilized by the user to control body weight.

14. The computer system for controlling body weight to support the online personalized weight control program of claim 13, wherein the plurality of interoperable selectable weight control elements include at least one of food and exercise items.

15. The computer system for controlling body weight to support the online personalized weight control program of claim 13, wherein the software code to form the dataset represent a function of a predetermined set of rules operable to control weight.

16. The computer system for controlling body weight to support the online personalized weight control program of claim 13, wherein the plurality of interoperable selectable weight control elements include a journal interface operable to provide a daily listing of foods for consumption in accordance with the personalized weight control program.

17. The computer system for controlling body weight to support the online personalized weight control program of claim 13, wherein the foods are alterable to establish a different daily listing of foods for consumption.

18. The computer system for controlling body weight to support the online personalized weight control program of claim 17, further comprising software code to credit future daily listings based on a total food value of the daily listing being below a target value.

19. The computer system for controlling body weight to support the online personalized weight control program of claim 18, wherein the target value is a maximum number of values as a function of food consumption and activities allotted by the weight control program.

20. The computer system for controlling body weight to support the online personalized weight control program of claim 17, wherein the crediting is performed for a predetermined number of days.

21. The computer system for controlling body weight to support the online personalized weight control program of claim 13, further comprising:

software code to receive, from the user, at least one recipe, comprising a plurality of ingredients; and

software code to automatically update, based on the updated dataset, information on what quantity of a meal made in accordance with the at least one recipe is appropriate to control body weight of the user.

22. The computer system for controlling body weight to support the online personalized weight control program of claim 21, wherein the system further comprises:

software code to receive login information from the user; and

software code to allow, based at least in part on the login information, the user to access a community of users of the online personalized weight control program and to share the received at least one recipe with the community of users of the online personalized weight control program.

23. The computer system for controlling body weight to support the online personalized weight control program of claim 22, wherein the at least one shared recipe is associated with at least one portion of information from the updated dataset of the profile of the user and wherein the at least one portion of information is shared with the community of users of the online personalized weight control program.

24. The computer system for controlling body weight to support the online personalized weight control program of claim 13, wherein the at least one first and second dietary recommendations comprising predetermined meals each having a total food value associated therewith.