Improving his patients’ quality of life is a key issue to Dr. Francisco Jacome.
“Excess weight creates problems with quality of life,” said Jacome, a local bariatric surgeon, who has developed a weight loss app called healclub.
While there are plenty of weight loss programs and apps on the market, Jacome takes a different approach with his.
With other apps, the user is responsible for entering the data – the foods eaten, the exercises performed. Healclub users, however, answer a variety of questions and the app creates an individual food plan and a tailored exercise guide.
“We give a reverse app,” he said.
Not only does the app provide a meal plan, but it includes recipes with a grocery list and information on how to prepare the food.
Cooking one’s own food is important to the plan. Not every grilled chicken breast is cooked equally. One cooked in a restaurant kitchen might not be prepared the same way as one in the person’s own kitchen, he said.
The app is for people who want to lose a significant amount of weight. According to Jacome, that would mean those who have a body mass index of 30 or higher. People who have a body mass index more than 30 are classified as obese. Most people using the app will likely need to lose a minimum of 30 to 50 pounds.
The app will take into consideration people’s food likes and dislikes, and when it comes to exercise, the approach is tailored based on the person’s amount of mobility including those who may have significantly limited mobility.
A feedback section is included. Users can describe how they felt after the workouts, for example, and the app will alter them.
An added component is the support. There are seven different categories of learning and education plus there are action plans.
If someone eats because of stress, anxiety or depression, for example, there are articles related to that. A team of mental health professionals have boiled them down to the essentials. The full article is included if someone is interested in learning more.
With each challenge, there are five action steps to help overcome them, he said.
The app is evolving.
Future pieces include adding a goal setting portion with goals related to things other than weight loss.
It goes back to the quality-of-life portion, he said.
For someone who can barely walk a mile, walking in a 5K would be one type of goal.
Interpoint Health, a private practice primary care center, has successfully used the healclub approach to help patients lose weight, according to a news release.
“I especially appreciate the wellness and support aspect of healclub. This is so very important for people trying to lose weight,” Dr. Chris Gibbs said. “The healclub app has successfully helped several of my patients change their lifestyle and improve their health.”
For more information on healclub, go to healclub.com. The healclub app is available in the App Store and in Google Play.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the managing editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
