ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

Bra Sensors Could Monitor Overeating

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
November 27, 2013 - Updated on January 6, 2014
in Health, News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

Despite all the related problems which contribute to obesity such as stress , the main cause is… eating too much. Recent studies have shown that people tend to overeat when they are stressed out – often creating a negative cycle of eating more, gaining weight and then getting stressed out about gaining weight – especially during the holiday season with Thanksgiving and Christmas.

bra
Credits: Erin A. Carroll et al.

“We eat not just because we are hungry and craving nutrients, but also for a host of emotional and habitual reasons. There is no single term that encompasses the combination of lifestyle, hedonic, emotional, or habitual over-eating that leads to obesity.”

When traditional methods pretty much failed, scientists started thinking out the box, designing new, innovative ways to help anxious overeaters get rid of this habit, or at least be more aware about it. Along with stress and eating apps engineers and designers at Microsoft Research recently invented a stress-busting bra made with special material that monitors the wearers moods and helps reduce stress eating.

“It’s mostly women who are emotional overeaters, and it turns out that a bra is perfect for measuring EKG (electrocardiogram),” said Mary Czerwinski, a cognitive psychologist and senior researcher in visualization and interaction at Microsoft. “We tried to do the same thing for mens underwear but it was too far away (from the heart).”

The stress monitoring bra, which was initially presented at the Society for Affective Computing conference was recently tested by a group of volunteers, who reported getting accurate information about their moods. The results seem promising enough to see it on the shelf in the near future, especially considering that it’s probably going to be pretty cheap. Microsoft built it with a standard microprocessor powered by a 3.7-volt battery. It’s able to simultaneously monitor up to eight bio-signal channels simultaneously, according to Czerwinski’s research paper, “Food and Mood: Just-in-Time Support for Emotional Eating“.

The sensors track heart rate and respiration with an EKG sensor, skin conductance with an electrodermal activity sensor, and movement with an accelerometer and gyroscope – and they can do all of this from a bra. All this information can, when taken as a whole, accurately depict if the user is stressed and stream the results to a smartphone app or a computer.

The only bad thing is that the battery life is pretty small – they only last for about 4 hours, and then they have to be changed, but researchers are currently trying to find a way around this – they’re trying to find alternative ways to monitor these parameters, in a way that requires less energy.

Scientific Reference:

Erin A. Carroll, Mary Czerwinski, Asta Roseway, Ashish Kapoor, Paul Johns, Kael Rowan. Food and Mood: Just-in-Time Support for Emotional Eating.

RelatedPosts

New class of transparent metal films could make smartphones a whole lot cheaper
Obese people enjoy their food more — and this could be key to understanding obesity
Endless digital media was supposed to cure boredom forever — except the opposite is true
Sugary drinks kill 180,000 adults worldwide
Tags: braobesitysmartphonestress

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Health

Your Brain on Stress Is Worse Than You Think, Especially If You’re Depressed

byAlexandra Gerea
1 week ago
Health

Losing Just 12 Pounds in Your 40s Could Add Years to Your Life

byTudor Tarita
1 month ago
Future

Your smartphone is a parasite, according to evolution

byRachael L. Brown
1 month ago
Health

Doctors Warn That Bringing Your Phone to the Bathroom Could Backfire in a Painful Way

byTudor Tarita
1 month ago

Recent news

Tennis May Add Nearly 10 Years to Your Life and Most People Are Ignoring It

July 4, 2025

Humans Have Been Reshaping Earth with Fire for at Least 50,000 Years

July 4, 2025

The Strangest Microbe Ever Found Straddles The Line Between Life and Non-Life

July 4, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.