System and method for weight management

• US 9,332,778 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2010
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JF Arbuckle Medical Pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: JF Arbuckle Medical Pty Ltd.
• Inventors: Arbuckle, John F., Arbuckle, Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alley, Peter J
• Application Number:
  US13/263,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20120021388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,226 Days
• Field of Search: 434/127, 220/574
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 over a predetermined time period, said method comprising the steps of:

measuring a meal size by weight to ensure that the meal does not exceed a maximum weight based on a subject'"'"'s gender;

advising the subject if the meal exceeds the maximum weight permitted for the subject'"'"'s gender;

initiating a timer on determining that the meal is the appropriate size, said timer adapted to operate over a predetermined time interval;

conveying an instruction, via the timer issuing a signal of a first type to the subject to consume a portion of the meal over an eating interval;

conveying an instruction, via the timer issuing a signal of a second type different to the first type, to the subject to pause consumption of the meal over a resting interval, wherein the eating and resting intervals are continually alternated over the predetermined time interval to trigger said subject'"'"'s satiety response by having the subject complete the meal on or after expiry of said predetermined time interval with the subject signalled over the predetermined time interval to either consume or rest by the issuance of the signal of the first type and the signal of the second type alternated over the predetermined time interval;

signalling the end of the predetermined time interval to the subject at the end of the predetermined time interval; and

communicating the eating and resting intervals to the subject via a visual display, wherein the display comprises at least one LED to indicate the amount of elapsed time within the predetermined time interval, and the LED is scanned across the display between a start and end position throughout the duration of the predetermined time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the eating and resting intervals to the subject via an audible source.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the audible source comprises a series of tones each tone within the series denoting an eating or resting interval.

4. The method of claim 2, 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.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the LED is scanned between the start and end positions at a rate of approximately 20 to 30 seconds.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the eating interval is approximately 2 to 3 minutes in duration.

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

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of measuring the meal size comprises segregating food groupings within the meal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the food groups comprising the meal include vegetables, complex carbohydrates and protein on a volumetric basis.

10. The method of claim 9, 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.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring meal portion size.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein measuring portion size comprises segregating food groupings within the meal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the food groups comprising the meal include vegetables, complex carbohydrates and protein on a volumetric basis.

14. The method of claim 13, 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.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein measuring meal portions further comprises:

weighing the amount of food to be consumed.

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

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said predetermined time interval is 18 minutes.

18. A system for assisting in triggering a subject'"'"'s satiety response during the consumption of a meal over a predetermined time period, said system comprising:

a timer adapted to operate over a predetermined time interval, said timer including a visual and/or audio indicator adapted to;

convey an instruction to the subject to consume a portion of the meal over an eating interval by issuing a signal of a first type;

convey an instruction to the subject to pause consumption of the meal over a resting interval issuing a signal of a second type different to the first type;

alternate the eating and resting intervals continually over the predetermined time interval to cause the subject to complete the meal on or after the expiry of said predetermined time interval with the subjected signalled over the predetermined time interval to either consume or rest by the issuance of the signal of the first type and the signal of the second type alternated over the predetermined time interval; and

signal the end of the predetermined time interval to the subject at the end of the predetermined time interval; and

wherein the eating and resting intervals are communicated to the subject via a visual display, wherein the display comprises at least one LED to indicate the amount of elapsed time within the predetermined time interval, and the LED is scanned across the display between a start and end position throughout the duration of the predetermined time interval.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the eating and resting intervals are further communicated to the subject via an audible source.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the audible source comprises a series of tones each tone within the series denoting an eating and/or resting interval.

21. The system of claim 19, 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.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the LED is scanned between the start and end positions at a rate of approximately 20 to 30 seconds.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the eating interval is approximately 2 to 3 minutes in duration.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the resting interval is approximately 1 to 2 minutes in duration.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein said predetermined time interval is approximately 15 to 22 minutes.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said predetermined time interval is 18 minutes.

27. A timer for assisting in triggering a stimulation of a subject'"'"'s satiety response during a consumption of a meal over a predetermined time period, said timer comprising:

a visual and/or audio indicator adapted to;

convey an instruction to the subject to consume a portion of the meal over an eating interval by issuing a signal of a first type;

convey an instruction to the subject to pause consumption of the meal over a resting interval issuing a signal of a second type different to the first type;

alternate the eating and resting intervals continually over the predetermined time interval to cause the subject to complete the meal on or after the expiry of said predetermined time interval with the subjected signalled over the predetermined time interval to either consume or rest by the issuance of the signal of the first type and the signal of the second type alternated over the predetermined time interval; and

signal the end of the predetermined time interval to the subject at the end of the predetermined time interval; and

wherein the eating and resting intervals are communicated to the subject via a visual display, wherein the visual display comprises at least one LED to indicate the amount of elapsed time within the predetermined time interval, and wherein the at least one LED is scanned across the display between a start and end position throughout the duration of the predetermined time interval.

28. The timer of claim 27, wherein the eating and resting intervals are communicated to the subject via an audible source.

29. The timer of claim 28, wherein the audible source comprises:

a series of tones each tone within the series denoting an eating and/or resting interval.

30. The timer of claim 28, 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.