Two Clemson University researchers seek to make diners mindful
of mindless eating. Psychology professor Eric Muth and
electrical and computer engineering professor Adam Hoover have
created the Bite Counter, a measurement device that will make it
easier for people to monitor how much they eat. Worn like a
watch, the Bite Counter device tracks a pattern of wrist-roll
motion to identify when the wearer has taken a bite of food.
Think of it as a pedometer for eating. "At the societal level,
current weight-loss and maintenance programs are failing to make
a significant impact. Studies have shown that people tend to
underestimate what they eat by large margins, mostly because
traditional methods rely upon selfobservation and reporting,"
said Muth. "Our preliminary data suggest that bite count can be
used as a proxy for caloric count." The advantage of the Bite
Counter is that it is automated so that user bias is removed.
The device can be used anywhere, such as at restaurants or while
working, where people find it