Scenario
Mr. Jasper is a 45-year-old male who has been diagnosed with hypertension.
The doctor says that these health problems are caused by obesity. Taking into consideration the age of the patient, he still has chances to overcome his obesity and relieve the symptoms of hypertension.
The patient’s weight is 260 pounds, while his height is 6 feet.
Mr. Jasper’s sister, who brought her to the hospital, says that he is single and lives alone. There is no one to help him control his problem of being overweight.
She remarks that if some applications were helping her brother monitor his food habits, he might feel more enthusiastic about losing weight.
Obesity is known to be a risk factor for hypertension (Hall, Carmo, Silva, Wang, & Hall, 2015). Moreover, obesity and hypertension may lead to the development of diabetes (Colosia, Palencia, & Khan, 2013). Therefore, it is crucial to provide the necessary education for the patient to help him overcome his weight problem.
mHealth Application
- Name: Fooducate Weight Loss Coach (“Fooducate Weight Loss Coach,” 2018).
- Purpose: assisting users to lose weight by suggesting effective eating solutions.
- Audience: patients suffering from obesity.
- Mobile Devices: Smartphones, iPhones, iPods.
- Where to download: online Apple and Android stores.
Fooducate Weight Loss Coach is an app designed to help people who are overweight or those who want to sustain their body mass index within the norm. Its users rate the app rather well. The program is easy to download and use, and it may help Mr. Jasper to control his eating habits since he lives alone, and there is no one to support him daily.
Teaching
- Pleasant interface: bright colors and distinct sections.
- Usability: you can check the quality of your products and count calories in the food you consume.
- Helpful tips: the app gives information about the nutritional value of all kinds of food products and drinks.
- Encouragement: there is a section “Get motivated!” showing photographs of people before and after using the app, which is highly inspirational.
- Analysis: you can scan the list of ingredients, analyze it, and identify the good and bad elements.
The application is easy to use due to having bright colors and being divided into sections. It will give you all the necessary information about products, and it will be easier for you to choose what to consume and which foods to avoid. Even if you decide to treat yourself to something not very healthy, the Fooducate Weight Loss Coach will help you calculate the calorie amount and balance it with your next food intake.
Evaluation
Mr. Jasper will be able to count calories in his products. The patient will see which products are good for him and which ones are bad. Mr. Jasper will track his achievements and share them with the doctor. The patient will adjust the app to his parameters, which will demonstrate his literacy in technology. The patient will receive food recommendations based on what he eats and will adhere to them.
The ultimate purpose of educating the patient on the Fooducate Weight Loss Coach is to help him cope with obesity that adversely impacts his health. To assess Mr’ Jasper’s skills, the doctor will check whether he follows the advice suggested by the app and whether his weight starts reducing.
References
Colosia, A. D., Palencia, R., & Khan, S. (2013). Prevalence of hypertension and obesity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in observational studies: A systematic literature review. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, 6, 327-338.
Fooducate Weight Loss Coach. (2018). Web.
Hall, J. E., Carmo, J. M., Silva, A. A., Wang, Z., & Hall, M. E. (2015). Obesity-induced hypertension: Interaction of neurohumoral and renal mechanisms. Circulation Research, 116(6), 991-1006.