Systems dynamics simulation approach to a personalized obesity decision support system model

Internationally, at the population level, a review of overweight/obesity prevalence trends reveals consistent increase of the condition in industrialized nations, but considerable variability internationally in the magnitude of the change. Unlike other approaches to reduce obesity that rely in expert design of someone's strategy, the decision support model (DSM) proposed by this research goes beyond simply providing a weight loss plan. Arguably, such an approach is one of the major weaknesses of many attempts targeting solutions to the obesity problem. The majority of the efforts fail, if not immediately, months or years after a successful drop in the weight. The proposed DSM employs a multidisciplinary dynamic systems approach. There is little evidence of the use of SD in a healthcare environment for modeling the human body, and, even less in obesity control. The outcome of the DSM accounts for the differences between individuals, so they are able to develop strategies based on their own preferences. The DSM is modular and will allow for the addition of other factors such as non-physical - e.g. emotional, stress, and motivation.