Use of Wearable Tech to Increase Physical Activity in Inpatient Rehabilitation for Overweight and Obese Patients

Obesity is a global epidemic with profound consequences for individuals and societies. Physical exercise is important for weight reduction and weight loss maintenance. Use of wearable tech might facilitate physical activity. Here it will be evaluated whether use of wearable tech that gives feedback about the user's activity level, increases physical activity in people participating in inpatient rehabilitation for overweight and obesity. The control group will be wearing the same wearable tech as the intervention group, but they will not receive any feedback about their activity level.

The feedback application will give participants in the intervention group information about the number of PAI they earn each week. PAI is short for Personal Activity Intelligence. One earns PAI points every time heart rate increases: The higher heart rate, the faster one earns PAI. Previous research have shown that those who achieve 100 PAI or more every week over time, live for an average of more than eight years longer than others.

During the study all participants will take part in a traditional inpatient rehabilitation program (lifestyle modification program). The program consist of three periods at the rehabilitation center with time at home in-between. The study will take place during two periods at the center and one period at home. Time spent on physical activity and number of earned PAI's will be counted during the period at home.

Inclusion criteria

• taking part in inpatient rehabilitation at Unicare Helefort Rehabilitation center for overweight or obesity.
• having been referred from a hospital outpatient obesity clinic.

Exclusion criteria

• not having a smartphone (will not be able to access the mobile application).
• using a wheelchair (the technology will be not able to measure activity correctly)