Metabolic Health
I am just loving this break 😍 All things I pushed by saying I don't have time to learn is happening now and I can't tell you how orgasmic this learning break is 🤪
Things I am exploring now can be classified into two broad buckets: Understanding Human Metabolism + Human Mental Fitness.
You might be wondering about this life science curiosity from a designer 🤓 Rightfully so!
My rationale lies in the spectrum below.
Today, the medical profession is heavily focused on the illness end of the spectrum, with doctors primarily handling surgeries, emergencies, and serious life-threatening scenarios. Medical school curriculums often neglect wellness topics such as metabolic health, lifestyle disorders, and mental fitness. These areas are typically managed by ancillary professions like dieticians, nutritionists, and therapists.
There's a significant gap that could be filled by behavioral scientists, who could incorporate more system design and behavioral changes. This is a new category in itself, and some physicians are now stepping in to meet this need. Unfortunately, they're often labeled as "alternative" medical professionals.
There's a growing demand for these alternative medical professionals as metabolic disorders are taking a toll on the quality of life. There is a huge opportunity for the healthcare industry to work with designers to create systems that promote behavioural changes and improve metabolic health.
My goal with Sensibowl is to address this gap, which I believe can be resolved primarily through behavioral sciences (80%) and life sciences (20%).
Over the past 8 years, I've made considerable progress in this area. Initially, I was hesitant to explore this unfamiliar territory and limited my experiments to just me and when I was certain about a few results I extended the systems to my inner circle. After a few wins I feel it is time for system designers interested in human biology could step up to fill this gap.
Despite significant progress, I still have much to learn. That's why I'm dedicating my break to studying Microbiology, Biochemistry, Physiology, and Anatomy. I also believe in the need for mental wellness among knowledge workers, not just physical wellness. It's important to note that not everything should be classified as an illness. For instance, mental fog caused by carbohydrate overload/insulin spikes can be explained to individuals, allowing them to adjust their dietary habits accordingly. This need not be taken to anti-depressents 🤨
I'm currently enjoying the Lippincott's Illustrated series for Cellular Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Neuroscience, and Biochemistry. More on this soon!
🥂 to system design!