![]() He also has the option of ordering tailored eating plans and meals - for extra charges. ![]() The "Protein Seeker," for example, is someone who should eat a diet high in protein, since his body has a harder time breaking down fat and carbohydrates. Habit’s "Protein Seeker" is someone who should eat a diet high in proteinĪll that information is then processed through Habit’s proprietary algorithms and uploaded to the Habit app, where users can log in for a half-hour session with a dietitian to learn about their results and which "Habit Type" and "Hero Foods" they best respond to. (Hat tip to Ringer for pointing that out.)Īfter you submit blood and saliva samples, Habit gives you data on more than 60 biomarkers (for example, blood glucose, vitamin levels, and cholesterol) and feedback about how particular genes may determine responses to different foods - for example, sensitivity to caffeine or lactose intolerance. The company he built is a kind of mashup of the at-home genetic testing company 23andMe and the personalized meal recommendation and delivery services Prepd and Blue Apron. "I want to democratize the process," he wrote, and help people "live a healthier, fuller life powered by foods that are just right for them." He gained a bunch of weight, had a personal crisis, and then underwent a transformation by, he says, hacking his biology - just as he’d like others to do with Habit. As many personal health gurus have done, CEO Neil Grimmer wrote at Medium about the health epiphany that led him to start the company. Habit, headquartered in the Bay Area, is just the latest variation on this theme. Our groundbreaking DNA test will change the way you think about fitness and nutrition forever." Another company, Nutrigenomix, offers to help you "Eat According to Your Genes." (The emphasis is mine.) (Yes, they mean all of us.) The website for DNAFit, for example, opens with: "Let's talk about you. (More on this later.)Ī number of entrepreneurs have seized on this dream and are trying to develop diets plans tailored especially to you. And leading nutrition researchers have argued that we will eventually move away from the "one-size-fits-all" approach to food toward more individualized eating plans. Researchers have for years been interested in how different people respond to different foods - and why some people absorb certain essential nutrients better than others do. While many of the companies trying to commercialize personalized nutrition - or "nutrigenomics" - are new, the idea has been around for a while. As Lund University genetic epidemiologist Paul Franks put it, "The concept is probably not quite ready for public consumption." Habit thinks your genes can tell you if need you to eat more proteinīefore diving into what Habit does, let’s back up for a moment. ![]() "We still don’t have the ability to accurately predict the most healthy diet for an individual … with or without the use of genomics," said Rasmus Nielsen, a geneticist at the University of California Berkeley. Researchers who work in this area told me there’s a huge gap between what we actually know about nutrition genomics and what companies like Habit claim to offer. When I started to poke around, however, my skepticism about Habit - and the other direct-to-consumer personalized nutrition programs out there - grew. ![]() Who wouldn’t want to know themselves at the "cellular level," to "eat better, feel better, be better," as the Habit introductory video promises? The food giant Campbell Soup was certainly sold, investing $32 million into the company. For more money, you can purchase meals shipped directly to your home, as well as customized eating plans.Īt first glance, the concept is appealing - an individualized, paint-by-numbers food program for optimal health. In exchange for $299 and samples of your blood and saliva, you get reams of raw data about how your body responds to different foods, access to the Habit app, and a session with a certified dietitian. Habit is peddling a "personalized nutrition" service. Theranos tried (and failed) to democratize blood testing, the Apple Watch vowed to get people exercising ( despite evidence to the contrary), and a company called Habit wants to fix our diets. There's no end to Bay Area startups floundering with their promises to revolutionize health. ![]()
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