RecruitingInterventional

Use of an AI-driven personalised dietary advice or a general dietary advice to improve food intake

This study aims to find out if special diet advice, created using artificial intelligence (AI), can help people eat better and improve their overall health. Many common illnesses like heart disease and diabetes are linked to unhealthy eating. Traditional ways to track what people eat can be tricky, so this study uses new technology, like tiny cameras and activity trackers, along with blood and other samples, to give very personal diet tips. We're comparing this AI-driven personalised advice to standard healthy eating guidelines. We want to see which approach is better at helping people at risk of these illnesses improve their weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar. Volunteers will take part over several weeks, providing samples and wearing monitoring devices.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Sponsor

Imperial College London

Enrolment target

105

Start

03 Nov 2025

Estimated completion

28 Feb 2027

Diet

What is this study about?

Many common health problems, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, are often linked to what we eat. Improving our diet is a great way to lower the risk of developing these conditions. However, it can be hard to accurately remember everything we've eaten, how much, and how often. This study is looking for a new and better way to understand how someone's diet affects their health.

We're testing a special kind of diet advice that's personalised for each person using AI (Artificial Intelligence). This AI system gathers lots of information, such as what you eat (captured by a tiny camera), how active you are, and details from your blood, urine, and stool samples. All this information helps the AI create diet recommendations that are just for you. We're comparing this personalised advice to general healthy eating guidelines, similar to those recommended by organisations like the World Health Organization.

The main goal is to see if this AI-powered personalised advice is more effective than general advice at helping people improve their diet and health. This includes looking at things like body weight, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol levels. If successful, this could lead to more effective ways for people to manage their diet and reduce their risk of serious long-term health conditions.

Key takeaways

This study explores personalised diet advice using AI technology.
It aims to improve diet and health for people at risk of illnesses like diabetes.
Participation involves wearing cameras and activity trackers, and providing samples.
There are four in-person visits over a 12-week period.
Participants will receive £400 for their involvement.
The study is run from Hammersmith Hospital in London.

Who may be eligible?

We are looking for adult men and women, aged between 18 and 65 years old, who might be at a higher risk of developing common health conditions like heart disease or diabetes.

To be eligible, your Body Mass Index (BMI) should be 25 or higher (or 23 or higher if you're of Asian background). Also, your waist measurement should be 102 cm (about 40 inches) or more for men, and 88 cm (about 34.5 inches) or more for women (or 90 cm/35.5 inches for Asian men and 80 cm/31.5 inches for Asian women).

There are some reasons why you might not be able to take part. For example, if you have certain existing health conditions like type 2 diabetes, Crohn's disease, or heart conditions. We also can't include pregnant or breastfeeding women, or those who have taken antibiotics recently. You shouldn't be participating in other clinical trials at the same time.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you between 18 and 65 years old?
Is your Body Mass Index (BMI) 25 or higher (or 23+ if Asian background)?
Is your waist measurement above a certain level (102 cm for men / 88 cm for women, with different levels for Asian backgrounds)?
Do you *not* have existing conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or certain gut problems?
Are you *not* pregnant or breastfeeding?
Have you *not* taken antibiotics in the last three months?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you join the study, you'll be randomly put into one of two groups. One group will get the personalised AI diet advice, and the other will receive general healthy eating advice.

Over a 12-week period, you'll be asked to wear a small camera for four separate week-long periods. This camera can be attached to glasses or worn as a brooch, and it records what you eat and drink. You'll also wear a device to track your physical activity and keep a simple food diary. You'll need to attend four in-person visits at the NIHR Imperial Clinical Research Facility in Hammersmith, London. During these visits, you'll provide blood, urine, and stool samples, and we'll measure your body composition (like how much muscle and fat you have) and blood pressure.

Potential risks and benefits

By taking part, you could learn useful ways to improve your diet and reduce your risk of illnesses like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Your participation will also help scientists understand more about how diet affects our health and the conditions that lead to these diseases. As a thank you for your time, you will receive £400 for taking part. We don't expect any risks from this study, as it mainly involves monitoring and giving diet advice. Remember, you are free to leave the study at any time, for any reason, without it affecting your usual medical care.

Locations (1)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
City only
London, England

Common questions

What is AI?

AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. It's a type of computer program that can learn from information and make recommendations, similar to how a human might think.

Will I have to eat special foods?

No, you won't be told to eat special foods. The study aims to give advice based on your usual diet to help you make healthier choices.

What does a 'wearable camera' mean?

It's a very small camera you can wear, either on special glasses or like a brooch. It's designed to record what you eat and drink to help us understand your diet better.

How long will the study last for me?

You will be involved in the study for a total of 12 weeks, with four in-person visits during that time.

Is my personal information kept private?

Yes, all your personal information and data collected during the study will be kept strictly confidential and anonymous.

How to find out more

Gary Frost

g.frost@imperial.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7594 0959 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.