HapiFork: a solution to stick to the diet
HAPIfork is the smart fork that helps you eat healthier, eat slower and lose weight by eating at the right time and the right speed
Studies have shown that the problem is not only WHAT we eat but also HOW FAST we eat. Meet HAPIfork, the world’s first smart fork!
This connected device knows how fast you’re eating and can help you develop healthy (or smart) eating habits, improve your digestion and also reduce your weight.
The idea behind this project is fairly simple: eating too fast more often than not leads to one’s eating too much, and this in turn translates into ever more pounds starting to build up on one’s otherwise slim figure as the years go by. HAPIfork allows you to simply and quickly monitor and reduce the speed at which you eat your meals. Slowing down and paying attention are important steps towards the goal of creating and maintaining healthier eating habits.
Background
Losing weight is not an easy thing to do, especially if one has a rather hectic lifestyle and there simply are not enough hours in a day for one to lose several precious minutes counting the calories in a sandwich or in a bowl of soup. On the other hand, obesity is quite an issue in several parts of the world, and something must be done in order to help people shed some of the extra inches they happen to be carrying around their waist
Why it is important to eat slowly
Slowing down and paying attention at what we eat, and how, are important steps towards the goal of creating and maintaining healthier eating habits. Most people eat faster than they should and do not realize that eating too fast ins’t a healthy behavior, negatively affecting things like digestion and weight control.
When we eat by ourselves, we might also be watching television, working, or doing other things. When we eat with friends, we’re relaxed and want to have a nice time. Both these situations make it much harder to remain conscious of how quickly we’re eating. If, like the vast majority of people, you find that you’re eating too fast, HAPIfork can help you slow down. Eating too fast, and not chewing long enough leads to poor digestion and poor weight control.
HAPIfork allows you to simply and quickly monitor and reduce the speed at which you eat your meals.
HAPIfork records when you touch your fork to your mouth, and can tell how long the interval is between each fork serving. If you eat too fast, HAPIfork alerts you with a gentle vibration and indicator light to discreetly remind you to slow down. Over time, these repeated reminders from the HAPIfork allow you to eat more slowly.
What does HAPIfork track?
HAPIfork monitors the following activities during your meal:
- The number of “fork servings” taken per minute and per meal.
- The specific duration of each “fork serving” interval.
- Your overall meal duration.
- The exact time at which you start and end your meal.
In addition, the HAPILABS online dashboard (screenshot below) allows you to monitor your use of the HAPIfork, and share it if you’d like to.
- (Optional) You can upload your information either via bluetooth on your mobile, or using the USB cable (included) when you connect your HAPIfork to the computer.
- (Optional) You can view your information from either your online dashboard or your mobile phone.
- (Optional) You can choose whether or not to share your information with family, friends, trainers, or nutritionists, and even add pictures and comments!
HAPIfork is recharged by connecting it to any USB outlet, with the USB cable (included). The rechargeable batteries last about two weeks with intensive use—longer with less eating.
Practical and easy to use
Jacques Lépine, the designer behind HAPIFork has worked on the HAPIfork for seven years. Despite its sensitivity, you can use the HAPIfork the same way you’d use any fork. HAPIfork can:
- can be washed, either in the sink or the dishwasher. The handles are removable to allow safe washing
- can take normal wear and tear, like being dropped from a table top.
Besides, it’s simple to use and easy to get started with the online software.
In the quest to reshape our eating habits, the HAPIFork emerges as a peculiar yet potentially effective solution. Many of us really don’t pay attention to the speed at which we eat. As it takes around 20 minutes for the brain to register that your appetite has been properly satiated, fast eaters often overeat, and then feel full and bloated when their brain finally catches up with their stomach. As we’re seemingly not capable of regulating our own eating speed, the HAPIfork has been designed to do it for us, measuring the number of servings eaten per minute and per meal, the interval between servings, and the duration of each meal.
sources: Tech Wonderland
cover image: HAPI Team
author: Barbara Marcotulli
Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition has been committed since its very first editions to make innovation accessible and usable to all, with the aim of not leaving anyone behind. Its blog is always updated and full of opportunities and inspiration for makers, makers, startups, SMEs and all the curious ones who wish to enrich their knowledge and expand their business, in Italy and abroad.
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