The world today is marked by an epidemic of chronic diseases. For example, overweight and obesity affect approximately 50% of the French population. Furthermore, excess weight contributes to the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. The role of lifestyle in the onset and worsening of these diseases is now clearly established, and prevention and awareness-raising actions therefore represent a major public health issue. The scientific community agrees on the major determinants of overweight, obesity, and chronic diseases, which are both environmental and behavioral in nature. Excess weight results in particular from a chronic energy imbalance.

Energy expenditure related to physical activity is a major component of energy balance. Over the years, humans have seen their physical activity decrease in favor of a sedentary lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle involving prolonged periods of sitting results in low energy expenditure. This is associated with numerous technological changes in domestic, urban, and professional environments. It is currently estimated that in France, only 37% of adults and 32% of those over 65 achieve a level of physical activity considered favorable to health.

Diet is the other major determinant of weight management. In Western countries, it is both abundant and diverse. Foods are distributed in raw, minimally or moderately processed, and highly processed forms. Over the past 50 years, the consumption of highly processed products has increased considerably. These products certainly meet hedonic and convenience needs, but their overconsumption is now associated with metabolic disorders and the development of chronic diseases.

Research activity

The objective of my research was first to characterize lifestyles in order to then understand their influence on anthropometric and metabolic parameters. The achievement of this objective led me to develop actions of :

• Modeling weight status from behavioral data (diet, physical activity) collected under normal living conditions from normal-weight or overweight volunteers, healthy or ill.
• Predicting changes in weight status from long series of behavioral data.
• Using artificial intelligence to predict weight status patterns.
• Building digital tools (ActivCollector web platform and WellBeNet Android application) to remotely collect behavioral data using smartphones.
• Creating algorithms to estimate physical activity intensity from accelerometry data and validating the algorithms against energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry.
• Creating algorithms to estimate nutritional balance.
• Creating algorithms to estimate emotional balance.
• Creation of smartphone applications to raise public awareness of the impact of behavior on weight status (BMIpPedict) and energy intake (EnergyPredict)
• Creation of a serious game-type application in the fields of health, nutrition, and physical activity to understand the links between knowledge, behavior, and weight status (Mov’Eat, https://serious-game.limos.fr/ )

Most notable publications

• Rousset S, Angelo A, Hamadouche T & Lacomme P. (2023). Weight Status Prediction Using a Neuron Network Based on Individual and Behavioral Data. Healthcare 11, (1101), 1-10, doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11081101.
• Rousset S, Douarre M, Poyet A, Bounechada F, Descouls A, Girardin C, Pereira B, Dutheil F. (2022). Objective evaluation of the first post-lockdown on physical activity, sedentary behavior and food choice in a group of French adult students. Preventive Medicine Reports 28, (101863), 1-7, doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101863.
• Rousset S, Médard S, Fleury G, Fardet A, Goutet O, Lacomme P. (2021). Energy intake evaluation by a learning approach using the number of food portions and body weight. Foods 10, (10), 2301.
• Paris L, Guidoux R, Saboul D, Duclos M, Boirie Y, Rousset S. (2019). Comparison of Active and Sedentary Bout Lengths in Normal and Overweight Adults using eMouveRecherche. International Journal of Sports and Exercise Medicine 5, (11), 151-160, doi: 10.23937/2469-5718/1510151.
• Rousset S, Guidoux R, Paris L, Farigon N, Boirie Y, Lacomme P, Phan R, Ren L, Saboul D & Duclos M. (2018). eMouveRecherche: the first scientific application to promote light-intensity activity for the prevention of chronic diseases. Biology, Engineering and Medicine 3, (1), 1-6, doi: 10.15761/BEM.1000133.

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