Personalized dietary feedback mediates the association of dietary self-monitoring adherence and weight loss: a post-hoc analysis of the Personal Diet Study
Berube, Lauren T Wang, Chan Curran, Margaret Pompeii, Mary Lou Hu, Lu Barua, Souptik Li, Huilin St-Jules, David E Schoenthaler, Antoinette Segal, Eran
Berube, Lauren T
Wang, Chan
Curran, Margaret
Pompeii, Mary Lou
Hu, Lu
Barua, Souptik
Li, Huilin
St-Jules, David E
Schoenthaler, Antoinette
Segal, Eran
Supervisor
Department
Computational Biology
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Journal article
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Language
English
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dietary self-monitoring is central to effective personalized nutrition, providing critical data to inform tailored feedback and support behavior change.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of dietary self-monitoring adherence and the indirect effect of personalized scores to predict postprandial glycemic response (PPGR) on weight loss.
METHODS: Post-hoc analysis of the Personal Diet Study that investigated the impact of a machine algorithm-based diet that integrates clinical and microbiome features (Personalized) compared to a standard, low-fat diet (Standardized) on weight loss. All participants received behavioral counseling and were encouraged to self-monitor dietary intake via a smartphone app. Personalized received algorithm-based scores (1 to 5) on predicted PPGR to foods logged (PPGR score; 1-2 indicating optimal; 3-5 suboptimal). Dietary self-monitoring adherence was the percentage of days logging ≥50% of target calories, classified as high or low. PPGR score quality was calculated by the proportion of optimal predicted PPGR scores per day; defined as "high-PPGR quality" days when this exceeded the group average. Mediation analysis assessed whether PPGR quality mediated the relationship between dietary self-monitoring adherence and weight loss.
RESULTS: Participants with high self-monitoring adherence lost an average of 4.2% of their baseline weight, compared to 1.9% among those with low adherence (p=0.016). High self-monitoring adherence was associated with a greater likelihood of achieving ≥5% weight loss (aOR=3.67, 95% CI: 1.63-8.50). Within Personalized, high PPGR quality mediated 53.4% of the total effect of self-monitoring adherence on weight loss (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION: Consistent self-monitoring coupled with personalized feedback may significantly enhance weight loss in a precision nutrition approach.
CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03336411.
Citation
Berube, L.T., Wang, C., Curran, M., Pompeii, M.L., Hu, L., Barua, S., Li, H., St-Jules, D.E., Schoenthaler, A., Segal, E., Bergman, M., Popp, C.J. (2026). Personalized dietary feedback mediates the association of dietary self-monitoring adherence and weight loss: a post-hoc analysis of the Personal Diet Study. Journal of Nutrition, 101364-101364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101364
Source
Journal of Nutrition
Conference
Keywords
32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 3210 Nutrition and Dietetics, 3 Good Health and Well Being
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Publisher
Elsevier