In-vivo human study of skin optical properties in individuals with obesity

Obesity is a widespread chronic illness which affects over 40% of the US adult population and its world-wide prevalence has increased over the years impacting both low and high-income countries. Obesity has been linked to higher risk of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, among others. Currently the mostly prescribed regimes to combat chronic illness associated with obesity are efforts to change diet, behavior, and physical activity. Wearable devices have the potential of helping users reduce their obesity levels as these devices can easily acquire and communicate biometric data with users and clinicians. However, these technologies depend on optical sensors that are sensitive to molecular skin composition. We hypothesize that individuals with high BMI levels will present changes in skin optical properties when compared to their non-obese counterparts. Our objective is to capture skin optical properties at the wrist among a diverse cohort using a commercial optical system for research use. To meet an appropriate power, the human study, composed of males and females, is conducted with 100 adult participants. Statistical methods, including linear regression and t-tests, are used to determine interactions between measured data and participant demographics. We believe these results can improve design of optical wearables for the obese.