As the cold of winter fades away, many of us start to think about getting fit and eating healthier.
Surprisingly, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots might be the game-changer we didn’t know we needed to achieve these goals.
Researchers from the University of South Australia have conducted a unique, comprehensive study. The results?
They discovered that chatbots can effectively encourage people to be more active, eat healthier, and sleep better.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Published in npj Digital Medicine, the research showed that with the help of chatbots:
- People walked an extra 735 steps daily.
- They ate an added serving of fruits and vegetables daily.
- They slept 45 minutes longer every night. Such lifestyle changes are crucial as lack of activity, bad diet, and poor sleep can lead to serious health issues, including depression, heart diseases, obesity, and even cancer.
Why Chatbots?
Dr. Ben Singh, who led the study, shares how today’s chatbots are not the basic apps we used for news alerts or ordering a ride anymore. They’ve advanced so much that interacting with them feels like talking to a human.
These modern chatbots can offer instant, engaging, and tailored advice, encouraging us to make healthier choices regarding our daily activities, eating, and sleeping patterns.
The study also found out that people responded better to text chatbots than voice-based ones, hinting that texting might be more effective for health advice.
Importantly, chatbots seemed to benefit people of all ages, proving they’re not just for the younger tech-savvy generation.
Combining Tech and Human Touch
Senior researcher, Professor Carol Maher, believes in the potential of chatbots but also stresses the importance of blending AI with human guidance.
She points out that chatbots, being adaptive and personalized, might provide more impactful motivation and recommendations.
Yet, like every new technology, there’s a note of caution. Chatbots, being in their early stages, might sometimes provide unsuitable advice.
Thus, combining them with human coaching can offer the best of both: the constant support from a chatbot and the invaluable touch of a human.
Closing Thoughts
While more studies are needed, it’s clear that chatbots hold a lot of potential in helping people make better lifestyle choices.
If tapped into, they could ease the burden on our healthcare systems, especially in treating lifestyle-related ailments.
So, as you look forward to warmer days, consider letting a chatbot guide you toward a healthier lifestyle.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about low choline intake linked to higher dementia risk, and how eating nuts can affect your cognitive ability.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that blueberry supplements may prevent cognitive decline, and results showing higher magnesium intake could help benefit brain health.
The study was published in npj Digital Medicine.
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