Abstract

Real-time, effective and affordable nutrition and dietetics wearable technology and sensors are emerging field with immense opportunities and benefits to the global nutrition challenge. As a powerful public health nutrition game changer, it requires more research and development support in tackling food security and nutrition safety challenges and evidence in local and global priorities needs worldwide. Such revolution real time, home, work and hospital-based rapid, accurate and cost-effective self-detection and diagnosis of direct or indirect causes or diet deficiency or excess are much needed for generating evidence-based information and knowledge for individual and vulnerable group nutritional and dietary mitigation and lifestyle adaptation through wearable sensors and technology. Importantly, they foster national decision making nutrition policy and guidelines, programs and interventions can best practices in self-management, healthier lifestyle and increasing life expectancy, productivity and wellness. However, urgent political commitment and financial investment is needed in building and sustaining dietary and nutrition wearable and implantable technologies and devices of research and development. These can enhance evidence-based, coherent and coordinated nutrition and dietary programs and strategies to a targeted group or illness, vital in addressing malnutrition and under-nutrition public health burden amongst African children. Moreover, enhancing balanced dietary and nutrition promotion and awareness, education and best practices culture in improving sustained lifestyle adaptations in people living with HIV (PLWHIV) and diabetes or overweight or stroke patients. Diseases, building wearable consumers’ health and fitness prognosis, prospective digital nutrition, dietetic data and database or nutrition informatics platforms. These provide a paradigm shift in engaging participatory communication amongst public consumers, dietetic and nutritionist professionals in improving quality interventions, management and outcomes. Furthermore, fostering and sustaining new ideas and solutions including the quest for food and nutrition enlightenment, knowledge and resilience. However, assessment and understanding of nutritional and dietary needs, and potential opportunities in functional health benefits and resource development in personalized accessibility and availability of needed resources to encourage positive behavior, diet and nutrition changes is needed in monitoring current and future healthy generations.

Key words: Nutrition, dietetic, public health, wearable sensors, digital technology, Africa, low and middle   income countries (LMICs).