Could This Belt Help You Lose Weight?

Sometimes after eating a big Thanksgiving meal, I wish I was wearing my old maternity pants that effortlessly stretch to accommodate a swelling belly. But there’s no need for stretchy pants with Belty, a smart belt that automatically loosens or tightens itself depending on the tension of your waistline.

According to Ozy, Belty has an embedded accelerometer that detects the tension from eating a big lunch or routine activities like sitting or standing, and adjusts itself accordingly.

It also has a smartphone app, inactivity monitoring, waistline trend analysis, a built-in pedometer and Bluetooth capabilities, Ozy said.

… “it’s not a belt for lazy people,” insists Carine Coulm, CEO and co-founder of Belty’s Paris-based manufacturer, Emiota. The idea, she says, is that as you notice the belt tighten and loosen, you’ll become more aware of your eating habits and be encouraged to improve them.

You can even set your Belty to give you a nudge if you’ve been sitting for too long, prompting you to stretch or move around, according to the Emiota website.

But could the smart belt help you lose weight? Experts seem to think it’s possible, though not likely. Weight-loss researcher Christopher Ochner told Ozy that the waistline-monitoring feature of Belty could help wearers, although there’s a good chance people would just ignore it. Ochner noted that the use of devices like Fitbits and pedometers are usually short-lived.

“After a week or two, it winds up in a drawer,” Ochner said.

Coulm said the Belty, which is made of metal and looks heavy and clunky, is aimed at men right now, though Emiota plans to create a female version of the belt.

There’s no word yet on a price. The Belty also isn’t available yet for purchase. But it was a huge hit at January’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where it won an award for innovation, Ozy said.

Would you be interested in wearing Belty? Share your comments below or on our Facebook page.