Camera phones are here to stay, and the Japanese have found an important use for the built-in digital cameras in cellphones beyond the world of citizen journalism.
Japanese heart patients in Osaka take pictures of their meal before they eat it and send them to their health care provider. The result is not instantaneous but it’s much better than logging in what you eat in a journal. It’s currently still in its testing phase with 100 heart patients signed up. Nutritionist look at photos that cover a week’s worth of meal and give the patient an analysis in three days.
Over half of Japanese men and women between the ages of 40 and 70 are at risk in obesity-related health problems. High-end phones with cameras are ubiquitous in hi-tech Japan, making such a service practical. But how much will this cost an average Japanese? A similar study in Kansai Medical University’s Hirakata Hospital cost patients $37 as a sign up fee and an additional $21 after one month. Not much more than the price of a designer coffee in Tokyo.
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