Computing weight control profile

Abstract

A method includes: acquiring, in an apparatus, at least one weight value representing weight of a user; acquiring, in an apparatus, a weight development target for the user; computing, on the basis of the at least one weight value and the weight development target, at least one activity adjustment instruction indicating required the physical activity of the user; and outputting the activity adjustment instruction through an interface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 acquiring, in an apparatus, at least one weight value representing weight of a user;   acquiring, in an apparatus, a weight development target for the user;   computing, on the basis of the at least one weight value and the weight development target, at least one activity adjustment instruction indicating required physical activity of the user; and   outputting the activity adjustment instruction through an interface.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 computing, on the basis of the at least one weight value and the weight development target, at least one nutrition intake adjustment instruction indicating required nutrition intake of the user; and   outputting the nutrition intake adjustment instruction through the interface.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving, as an input, a value defining a ratio according to which the activity adjustment and the nutrition intake adjustment are proposed for reaching the weight development target for the user.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 acquiring activity measurement data representing physical activity measured from the user within an observation interval; and   acquiring nutrition intake information of the user within the observation interval.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 estimating, on the basis of the at least one weight value, energy expenditure computed from the activity measurement data, and energy intake computed from the nutrition intake information, future weight development of the user; and   outputting data representing the future weight development through the interface.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 computing the at least one activity adjustment instruction and the at least one nutrition intake adjustment instruction further based on the estimated future weight development, wherein the at least one activity adjustment instruction indicates how to change the physical activity with respect to the measured physical activity and the at least one nutrition intake adjustment instruction indicates how to change the nutrition intake with respect to the nutrition intake information of the user.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the activity measurement data represents round-the-clock measured heart activity and/or activity measured with an inertial sensor round-the-clock. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said computing the at least one activity adjustment instruction comprises:
 providing a mapping between each of a plurality of activity types to a value describing how exercising the activity type affects the weight;   computing, on the basis of the mapping and the weight development target for an activity type, an exercise value describing a time period the user needs to perform said activity type in order to reach the weight development target; and   outputting, through the interface, said activity adjustment instruction comprising the exercise value and an identifier of said activity type.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the exercise value describing the time period is computed by employing as an input user's personal attributes including at least one of weight, gender, activity level, maximum performance level. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said computing the at least one nutrition intake adjustment instruction comprises:
 providing a mapping between each of a plurality of nutrition types to a value describing how intake of the nutrition type affects the weight;   computing, on the basis of the mapping and the weight development target for a nutrition type, a nutrition value describing an amount of said nutrition type the user needs to intake less in order to reach the weight development target; and   outputting, through the interface, said nutrition intake adjustment instruction comprising said nutrition value and an identifier of said nutrition type.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the nutrition value is computed by employing as an input user's personal attributes including at least one of weight, gender, activity level, maximum performance level. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said activity adjustment instruction output through the interface reconfigures at least one activity target of a personal training computer carried by the user. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing, through the interface and upon detecting a predetermined event, an instruction for the user to measure his/her weight.   
     
     
         14 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:   acquiring at least one weight value representing weight of a user;   acquiring a weight development target for the user;   computing, on the basis of the at least one weight value and the weight development target, at least one activity adjustment instruction indicating required physical activity of the user; and   outputting the activity adjustment instruction through an interface.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 computing, on the basis of the at least one weight value and the weight development target, at least one nutrition intake adjustment instruction indicating required nutrition intake of the user; and   outputting the nutrition intake adjustment instruction through the interface.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising in the apparatus:
 receiving, as an input, a value defining a ratio according to which the activity adjustment and the nutrition intake adjustment are proposed for reaching the weight development target for the user.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 acquiring activity measurement data representing physical activity measured from the user within an observation interval; and   acquiring nutrition intake information of the user within the observation interval.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 estimating, on the basis of the at least one weight value, energy expenditure computed from the activity measurement data, and energy intake computed from the nutrition intake information, future weight development of the user; and   outputting data representing the future weight development through the interface.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 computing the at least one activity adjustment instruction and the at least one nutrition intake adjustment instruction further based on the estimated future weight development, wherein the at least one activity adjustment instruction indicates how to change the physical activity with respect to the measured physical activity and the at least one nutrition intake adjustment instruction indicates how to change the nutrition intake with respect to the nutrition intake information of the user.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the activity measurement data represents round-the-clock measured heart activity and/or activity measured with an inertial sensor round-the-clock. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said computing the at least one activity adjustment instruction comprises:
 providing a mapping between each of a plurality of activity types to a value describing how exercising the activity type affects the weight;   computing, on the basis of the mapping and the weight development target for an activity type, an exercise value describing a time period the user needs to perform said activity type in order to reach the weight development target; and   outputting, through the interface, said activity adjustment instruction comprising the exercise value and an identifier of said activity type.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the exercise value describing the time period is computed by employing as an input user's personal attributes including at least one of weight, gender, activity level, maximum performance level. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said computing the at least one nutrition intake adjustment instruction comprises:
 providing a mapping between each of a plurality of nutrition types to a value describing how intake of the nutrition type affects the weight;   computing, on the basis of the mapping and the weight development target for a nutrition type, a nutrition value describing an amount of said nutrition type the user needs to intake less in order to reach the weight development target; and   outputting, through the interface, said nutrition intake adjustment instruction comprising said nutrition value and an identifier of said nutrition type.   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the nutrition value is computed by employing as an input user's personal attributes including at least one of weight, gender, activity level, maximum performance level. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said activity adjustment instruction output through the interface reconfigures at least one activity target of a personal training computer carried by the user. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 providing, through the interface and upon detecting a predetermined event, an instruction for the user to measure his/her weight.   
     
     
         27 . A computer program product embodied on a distribution medium readable by a computer and comprising program instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, perform a method, comprising:
 acquiring at least one weight value representing weight of a user;   acquiring a weight development target for the user;   computing, on the basis of the at least one weight value and the weight development target, at least one activity adjustment instruction indicating required physical activity of the user; and   outputting the activity adjustment instruction through an interface.