Mobile solutions in the study of eating disorders in Japan
Prof. dr hab. Anna Brytek-Matera from the Institute of Psychology of the University of Wrocław, discusses the relevant role of mobile technologies in the treatment of binge eating and obesity induced diseases.
Our earlier conversation concerned the issue of eating disorders in Japan. Presently, as a recipient of the Walczak NAWA Programme conducted in collaboration with the Medical Research Agency, you have received a scholarship from the University of Tokyo. What is the purpose of your current research project?
Research conducted in collaboration with Professor Kauhiro Yoshiuchi and his team concerns the evaluation of mobile medical intervention in the treatment of patients with binge-eating disorders and obesity. We focus mainly on analysing the frequency of binge-eating episodes and on their reduction by using a popular telemedicine mobile solution (mHealth). Apart from psychological factors, such as mood or stress level, we used in our research a system of constant monitoring of glycemia, to evaluate interstitial glucose concentration before and after food intake, in a case of regular meals and binge-eating episodes alike. Our preliminary findings (Kikuchi et al. 2025) show that in a case of patients with eating disorders presenting with binge-eating episodes, the elevated level of mood-related symptoms (i.e. depression, anxiety and stress) and elevated interstitial glucose concentration was highly associated with binge-eating episodes. Existing research supports our results, proving that even a single day’s excessive intake of high-fat products may result in an increase in glucose and insulin levels in the blood.
Application and mobile technologies are commonly applied in the medical field. What does it look like in Japan?
In the USA and Western Europe alike, applications and mobile technologies have become an indispensable element of modern health care. They are used in the analysis of eating habits or diet-dependent diseases. Nevertheless, research conducted in Japan on the use of mobile health technologies is limited in this context. Our literature review (Brytek-Matera and Yoshiuchi, 2025), shows that in 75% of studies conducted in Japan, the main mobile tools in monitoring eating habits were personal digital assistants.
Multiple research results indicate that mobile health technologies not only allow constant monitoring of eating habits, but mainly, thanks to precise data collection, provide real-time information about habits and actions. In the future, it can facilitate the implementation of more personalised and effective interventions concerning health in general.
Your research also includes obese patients. Is the problem of excessive body weight present in Japan?
The prevalence of obesity in Japan is significantly lower than in Western countries. In 2016, the rate of obesity among adults was 3.7% for females and 4.8% for males. Rates were decisively lower than in the USA, where the same rates were as high as 37% for females and 35.5% for males. In 2019, the combined rate of obesity and overweight in OECD countries was lowest in Japan, with the level of 27.2%. For comparison, the highest rate was in Mexico, over 75%. Japanese research published in 2022 indicates a relatively stable level of average body mass index (BMI) for adults across all 47 prefectures of Japan in a timespan of four decades. Although the percentage of obese females remained stable in the last three decades, the prevalence of obesity and overweight among young males has nearly doubled over the same time.
We know, from our earlier discussion, that there are cultural differences concerning the diagnosis of eating disorders. Is the pattern similar to the obesity cases?
Japan Society for the Study of Obesity qualifies BMI on the level equal or higher than 25 kg/m² as “obesity disease”, whereas WHO sets the same threshold at 30 kg/m². I will add by the way, that in January of this year, a commission led by Professor Francesco Rubino from King’s College London published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology a new definition of obesity: preclinical and clinical obesity. The former is related to an excessive amount of body fat with preserved function of other tissues and organs, and is accompanied by an increased risk of clinical obesity development. The latter was defined as a chronic, systemic disease characterised by functional dysfunction of tissues and organs caused by an excessive amount of body fat. Clinical obesity may lead to several organ failures, which in effect may cause organ dysfunction and potentially life-threatening complications.
We can notice that the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity adopted a lower threshold for obesity. Research indicates that the Japanese are more susceptible to the risks of health complications associated with excessive body mass (such as cardiovascular diseases) while having a lower BMI than people from Western populations. Moreover, with the same BMI, Japanese tend to have a higher level of visceral fat. In light of these, overweightness and obesity prevention are a key focus of the national health policy in Japan.
Your time at the University of Tokyo seems to be very productive.
Indeed. I presented the results of our work at the international conference in Kyoto. Two more presentations are scheduled for the 18th International Congress of Behavioural Medicine (ICBM) and 25th World Congress of Psychiatry (WCP). I was also honoured by the Japanese Society of Anxiety and Related Disorders (JSARD) to deliver a lecture – “Eating disorder pathology: clinical features, psychiatric comorbidities and treatment” during the conference organised by JSARD in Tokyo. Additionally, by invitation of the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine (for the fifth time), I gave a lecture on „Randomised controlled trials of mHealth intervention for binge eating disorder”. We are currently working on two academic publications. My stay at the University of Tokyo allowed me to establish contact with other researchers from other Japanese institutions, such as Kyushu University Hospital in Fukuoka. In the future, we plan to evaluate the proliferation of orthorexia nervosa in Japan, as there is a notable lack of empirical studies on the subject.
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Prof. dr hab. Anna Brytek-Matera is ranked among the world’s 2% most-cited scientists (World’s TOP 2% Scientists; the single-year impact list: since year 2021). She has given guest lectures in Australia (Western Sydney University), France (University of Nantes, University of Bordeaux), Italy (University of Padova, University of Pavia), United Kingdom (University of West London), Japan (University of Tokyo) and USA (Stanford University). Recipient of French Government “Cotutelle” scholarship, the “START” scholarship of Foundation for Polish Science, the “Mentoring” Programme of the Foundation for Polish Science, Award of the Minister of Education and Science. Fellow of the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme in Paris and Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (Bekker and Walczak Programmes).
Translated by Marcin Dolata (student of English Studies at the University of Wrocław) as part of the translation practice.
Date of publication: 28.05.2025
Added by: E.K.
