HPB Pilot Helps 1,700 Cut BMI and Extend Healthy Glucose Time by 43 Minutes
Updated
Updated · The Straits Times · Jun 23
HPB Pilot Helps 1,700 Cut BMI and Extend Healthy Glucose Time by 43 Minutes
1 articles · Updated · The Straits Times · Jun 23
Summary
About 1,700 people who completed HPB’s 12-week DigiCoach pilot kept blood sugar in the healthy range for 43 extra minutes a day on average and also lost weight.
Participants with the poorest glucose control improved the most, spending an additional 2.6 hours a day in range, while nearly 80% of those who tracked weight reduced their BMI by an average 0.8.
The 2024-25 trial paired continuous glucose monitors with a mobile app, meal and activity logging, and digital coaching aimed at people with pre-diabetes and high BMI to prevent or delay disease onset.
HPB said successful pilots can be folded into its main Healthy 365 programmes, which already reach about 890,000 monthly users—roughly one-quarter of Singapore’s adult population.
The results support HPB’s broader push to use data and AI for personalised health nudges, alongside a 2026 metabolic-health coaching pilot and new Healthy 365 features.
Beyond pilot success, how will Singapore's health app sustain engagement when most users abandon such tools within days?
Can AI-driven health nudges truly succeed for everyone, or will they widen the existing digital health gap?
As Singapore's health AI gathers personal data, how will it navigate new global privacy standards set by Europe?
DigiCoach Pilot Achieves Promising Results: Personalized Digital Coaching Reduces Pre-Diabetes and High BMI in Singapore (2024–2025)
Overview
The Health Promotion Board's DigiCoach pilot program, which ran from 2024 to mid-2025, marked a significant step forward in diabetes prevention. By using a personalized, tech-driven approach, the program effectively managed key health indicators like pre-diabetes and high BMI. The promising results highlight a shift from traditional, one-size-fits-all methods to more individualized health interventions. This aligns with HPB's broader vision to embrace digital transformation in health promotion, showing that tailored digital platforms can deliver relevant advice and support healthier lifestyles for participants.