Effects of the EatWelLog App on Diet Management for Older Adults With Sarcopenic Obesity

Participants will receive an 8-week program consisting of personalized dietary modification program. The dietary modification program is composed of a total of 8 personalized, one-hour face-to-face sessions. Participants will be encouraged to take on a moderate hypocaloric plan that cuts daily energy expenditure to encourage steady weight loss while preserving muscle mass. A protein intake of 1.5 g/kg of body weight per day is recommended. To optimize protein uptake, it's suggested that protein be distributed evenly across meals, aiming for 25-30 g per meal, inclusive of 2.5-2.8 g of leucine. Participants will also receive a guidebook, crafted through the Delphi method, to facilitate the adoption of these dietary modifications in their daily routines.

Participants will receive an 8-week program consisting of exercise training. It entails weekly group sessions, with each lasting an hour for 8 weeks. These sessions, designed for groups of approximately 10, will blend resistance and aerobic workouts to enhance muscle mass and strength while reducing fat in individuals with SO. Each session includes a 10-minute warm-up and cool-down, 20 minutes of resistance training using elastic bands, followed by a 20-minute brisk walking segment. Participants will also receive a YouTube link and a pamphlet describing the exercises, encouraging them to maintain at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week during and beyond the supervised programme.

Only participants in the M-health group will be instructed to use the EatWellLog app for daily diet self-management. This App supports participants with SO by providing a structured approach to managing a diet that encourages steady weight loss while maintaining muscle mass, in line with current nutritional recommendations for this demographic. The EatWellLog App has the following features: i) tracking participants' dietary habits by logging meals and snacks from a food list, ii) personalized online coaching and reminders by a multidisciplinary healthcare team, iii) participation of family caregivers through an interactive messaging function, iv) accessing health information via multiple channels, including animations, an at-a-glance display, and a reminder, and v) utilization of game elements, such as educational animations and video games to disseminate health and nutritional information related to SO.