Northwestern University researchers have developed a new program that uses three wearable sensors to closely track eating behaviors, aiming to improve how obesity is treated. The system combines a necklace, wristband, and body camera, allowing scientists to observe real-world eating habits while taking privacy into account.
“Overeating is a major contributor to obesity, yet most treatments overlook the unconscious habits that drive it,” said Nabil Alshurafa, associate professor of behavioral medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and of computer engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering.
In their recent study, 60 adults with obesity wore these devices and logged meal-related mood and social context using a smartphone app over two weeks. The data revealed five distinct overeating patterns: take-out feasting, evening restaurant reveling, evening craving, uncontrolled pleasure eating, and stress-driven evening nibbling.
“These patterns reflect the complex dance between environment, emotion and habit,” Alshurafa said. “What's amazing is now we have a roadmap for personalized interventions.”
The findings will be published on September 17 in npj Digital Medicine. The team plans to use these insights for tailored behavior-change programs with clinicians.
“What struck me most was how overeating isn’t just about willpower,” said lead author Farzad Shahabi, a PhD student in Alshurafa’s lab. “Using passive sensing, we were able to uncover hidden consumption patterns in people’s real-world behavior that are emotional, behavioral and contextual. Seeing the patterns emerge from the data felt like turning on a light in a room we've all been stumbling through for decades. Our long-term vision is to move beyond one-size-fits-all solutions and toward a world in which health technology feels less like a prescription and more like a partnership.”
The HabitSense body camera used in the study only records when food appears in view by relying on thermal sensing technology. This design helps protect bystander privacy because it captures only eating activity rather than broad scenes.
Another device worn by participants was NeckSense—a necklace that passively tracks detailed eating behaviors such as chewing speed and hand-to-mouth movements.
Alshurafa's own challenges with weight management inspired his research direction. He described his experience: “I tried to turn my personal struggle into a scientific mission that promises to reshape obesity treatment,” Alshurafa said. “By merging computer science, behavioral medicine and a dash of Jane Goodall–style curiosity, we're working to lead the way toward truly personalized, habit-based health care. This study marks only the beginning of a journey toward smarter and more compassionate interventions for millions grappling with overeating.”
The project included several other Northwestern authors and received funding from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (grant 5K25DK113242).