“Smart Fork” Claims To Help With Weight Loss

What’s the Latest Development?

Yes, it has come to this: One of the many products being displayed at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is the HAPIFork, which tracks how often and how quickly it’s moving from plate to mouth. It even lights up and vibrates when the user is eating too fast. Currently the data collected by the fork has to be downloaded into a computer, but a company spokesman says they’re working on a Bluetooth-enabled version.

What’s the Big Idea?

According to dietitian Kari L. Kooi, “[s]tudies have found that it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to alert your brain that you’re full, and eating faster means you are likely to consume more before that happens.” Regulating the speed at which you eat may help with weight loss. At $99, the HAPIFork can help users get there, but mindfully eating with a regular fork can do the same thing, says Kooi. However, regular forks don’t come with their own tracking software, and that (according to the makers of the HAPIFork) is what will help eaters create healthier eating habits. 

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