Northwestern University scientists are bringing that vision closer to reality with a lifestyle medicine program that uses three wearable sensors—a necklace, a wristband and a body camera—to capture real-world eating behavior in unprecedented detail and with respect for privacy.

The study, “Unveiling overeating patterns within digital longitudinal data on eating behaviors and contexts,” was published in the journal npj Digital Medicine.

“Overeating is a major contributor to obesity, yet most treatments overlook the unconscious habits that drive it,” said corresponding author 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.