A portal to good health

Unique runners

Diet and exercise should be simple but the proliferation of advice, both amateur and professional, through the internet has made it difficult for people with possible weight issues from finding simple advice to help them lose weight and get healthy.

A team of researchers from the Griffith Health Institute’s Centre for Musculoskeletal Research are determined to simplify this process and are developing a website and mobile app which can be individualised to a person’s needs and linked to the latest research, as well as their own eHealth records.

Overcoming access issues

Called Healthy Outcomes and led by Associate Professor Liisa Laakso the aim of the sites is to encourage an ongoing adherence to a healthy lifestyle as well as providing top shelf advice and programs to change habits and get healthy.

The sites will also enhance information for people who traditionally find it difficult to follow diet and exercise programs which take into account their physical barriers to good health.

“We want people at risk of developing chronic diseases (like obesity) to take control of their own health care; we’re looking to extend that teachable moment where the desire for change is at its highest,” Dr Laakso said.

Integrated to a person’s lifestyle

“Information on mobile-based interventions is limited and they’re generally not integrated into a person’s lifestyle, so we’re wanting to link to experts, to information, to health diaries but also to shopping technologies like the supermarket sites.

“We’re creating a one-stop shop (across the web, the cloud and smart phones) for people looking to change their habits, lifestyles and get healthy and stay healthy.”

The project has attracted a $100, 000 grant from Area of Strategic Investment in Chronic Disease Prevention’s Innovations program and the site is set to kick off in 2013.