Overview

• The peer-reviewed study tracked 60 overweight adults with a bodycam, a digital wristband and a sensor-equipped necklace to capture bites, chewing speed and hand-to-mouth motions.
• From the recordings, the team identified five patterns: takeaway and large-portion eaters, social overeaters, late‑night snackers, spontaneous snackers and stress‑driven comfort‑food eaters.
• Authors report that the patterns reflect emotional, behavioral and contextual triggers rather than a simple lack of willpower.
• The findings were published in the journal npj Digital Medicine by a Northwestern University team that includes Nabil Alshurafa and first author Farzad Shahabi.
• The typology is presented as a foundation for targeted, technology‑enabled interventions, such as smartwatch nudges for people prone to late‑night snacking.