The BETTER4U project has made substantial progress toward its goal of developing personalized strategies for obesity prevention and treatment through the integration of biological, genetic, socioeconomic, and psychological factors. Within the scientific work packages, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on baseline BMI has been completed, while analyses on weight and BMI change are ongoing, alongside preparations for phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS). Data pipelines have been established to support federated AI model training. On the phenotypic side, systematic reviews on genetic risk communication and psychosocial behavior change strategies have been finalized, a joint codebook for dataset harmonization has been developed, and meta-analyses of BMI in relation to lifestyle and socioeconomic determinants are underway, complemented by forthcoming work on metabolomics and lifestyle risk score development. In parallel, AI-based causal models are being designed to integrate evidence across genetic, biological, lifestyle, and psychosocial domains, with federated learning approaches currently in preparation. A pilot study is also in progress across seven European sites to test monitoring tools in advance of the randomized controlled trial (RCT) on personalized weight loss interventions. Cross-cutting activities have emphasized alignment of timelines, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the design of RCT strategies with particular attention to vulnerable populations, thereby promoting equity in obesity interventions.
Visit the BETTER4U website to learn more, and sign up for the BETTER4U newsletter to stay up-to-date on project activities, here.
Thank you to BETTER4U’s Principle Investigator, Professor George Dedoussis, and Dr Maria Kafyra, for sharing the latest BETTER4U progress.