Heal the world
Gut Sense
Objective
To see if there is a correlation in how fat or thin you feel and how much you actually weigh.Description
Participants will weigh themselves every morning without looking at the number. This can be done with a housemate and pen/paper or with a scale that transmits weight over a wireless internet connection. At the same time, they'll record how fat or thin they feel on a range of 1-5 in a completely separate log (could be pen/paper or a spreadsheet/blog). At the end of the month, the data from the 1-5 range and weight readings are plotted over time and a correlation is determined.Inclusion Criteria
One of the following: 1) A scale that wirelessly transmits weight to the web (such as a Withings -- http://bit.ly/genomera-wiscale-en); 2) A housemate that will record your weight for you; or 3) A camera to snap a picture of your weight to be referenced at the end of the data collection period.- Weigh yourself everyday and have it recorded for you without looking. Participants cannot see their weight data as that could very well influence how they rate how fat/thin they feel.
- Rate how fat/thin you feel everyday and record it in a log.
- Indicate whether you think your weight has gone up or down from the previous day.
Discussion
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janet Given the differences in weight sensitivity among common household scales, how can we standardize the measurement?
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derekja Cool, my withing just got here so I'm game. although wow, with my fancy new scale being blind for a month is going to be tough!
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gbiggers Hi, a couple of questions while the study is still in design. - How long a period of time (days) will be required? - Have you thought about allowing some (less than 7) number of days measured per week? So that if I miss a day or two here and there, it's ok? Maybe aim for 4 days per week measured? - How blind does it need to be? Is it just blind each morning, or am I supposed to be blind to my weight for the full length of the study?
10ch @gbiggers - Great questions. Everything is still flexible, but here's what I'm thinking. - How long a period of time (days) will be required? 4 weeks minimum, a month or longer is ideal. > Maybe aim for 4 days per week measured? A good point, I'll see your 4 and raise you one. 5 days/wk required, aim for 7. > How blind does it need to be? Blind for the minimum length of the study (suggested at this point to be 4 weeks). Push back? Suggestions?
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EriGentry Good question. We're not comparing stock numbers from one person to another. We're measuring the *change* in weight for any given person. As long as the scales measure consistently, we'll be able to accurately compare the changes in numbers across people.
janet I understand that we are only measuring changes across each individual's time in the experiment. What I meant to ask was: What if the changes from day to day are too small for the scale to pick up? My family's old scale would stay at one number for weeks as my body was visibly changing weight (by the way my clothes fit), then suddenly jump +/- 5 pounds. It could have just been how old it was, so maybe requiring a relatively new scale (less than 1 year old?) would suffice.
janet Or a scale with ability to measure 1/10's or 1/100's of a pound?
EriGentry I suggest people use a scale they feel is reliable. The best option is a Withings scale - makes it easiest to capture weight data without looking at the number.