What if a dining-out app could play a role in changing India’s health?

Measuring Level of Global Health Crisis
Food that feeds us with health may no longer be sustainable due to our poor lifestyle choices. Obesity, diabetes, and heart attacks are all non-communicable diseases (NCDs) exacerbated by sedentary lifestyles, and this new trend of unhealthy eating habits among India’s youth puts them at risk. These are long-term diseases with a slower progression that are caused by a mix of genetic, physiological, environmental, and behavioral variables. NCDs are a major public health concern in the twenty-first century, not only because of the human suffering they cause but also because of the harm they bring to the country’s socio-economic development.

• Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally.
• In India, nearly 5.8 million people (WHO report, 2015) die from NCDs (heart and lung diseases, stroke, cancer, and diabetes) every year or in other words, 1 in 4 Indians has a risk of dying from an NCD before they reach the age of 70.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) projections, the total annual number of deaths from NCDs will increase to 55 million by 2030, if timely interventions are not done for prevention and control of NCDs.

The growing concern shows the risk if not taken measures, However, starting from developing healthy behavior may play a crucial role in enabling sustainable habits.

Understanding the same in a Micro level
Rising life expectancy, population expansion, urbanization, and changing lifestyles are all contributing to an increase in the burden of NCDs. Because of the country’s vast population and quick rate of change, the challenge is particularly critical in India.
In India, more than two-thirds of people with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are between the ages of 26 and 59, referred to as the “most productive-life age groups.” The key risk factors for NCDs are a lack of physical exercise, an unbalanced diet, stress, obesity, and BMI (Body Mass Index).

What can we do to reduce the risk of NCDs?
The excess of unhealthy nutrient intakes whereas the importance of optimizing adequate essential and semi-essential nutrient intakes and nutrient-rich diets has received less attention. Tobacco usage is less dangerous than an unhealthy diet.

Implementing ways to optimize essential nutrient intake is an integral part of strategizing to address NCDs.

Possibility of Reducing NCDs
Over 45 million Indians satiated their food cravings by dining out at their favorite restaurants. Today, the Work from Home (WFH) culture has enhanced the dining out experience in India.
While adopting the new normal of less trip plans and regular hang-out rituals, Indians returned to dining out, which emerged as the most desired pastime in 2021. Over 45 million Indians like going out to eat at their favorite eateries. On the Dineout app, 8,588 tables were booked every hour, with customers from all around the country saving 1,360 crores through Dineout discounts and deals.

‘New normal’ Facts on Dining out experience in India :

• Dinner outings have increased to 63% post-COVID as compared to 55% before COVID.
• 15,000+ restaurants opted for the Contactless Dining suite from Inresto.
• 151% growth in Digital Menu transactions, in the last few months.

Well, this was merely meant to demonstrate the possibility of developing something that could sustain someone who is constrained by their health. The actual challenge is making it accessible to people who are prone to health problems, and how can a sustainable solution meet this need?

Scope of Design
After doing extensive research, It was a “Light bulb Moment” to identify an opportunity wherein, people who are accustomed to living a certain lifestyle became an inspiration.
Bridging this gap of health with design may influence people to even live healthier and practice sustainability. Key target challenges faced by people who are particularly following a specific diet that questions them to go out for a dine-out experience.

Carely is a dine-out app customized to give a satisfactory food experience to those who are under health conditions and are accustomed to living a certain lifestyle. Users can customize according to their dietary needs and curate their own dining experience without making any compromises.

Why one should care to become a part of Carely?
In today’s world, having a vision for creating a product that contributes more than just a product is essential. The motivation behind creating a notion like this is to encourage people to adopt Carely as a companion who helps them recognize their genuine self as their own self, rather than someone who is obligated to live life in a certain way.
Not everyone lives their lives as they like because they believe their conditioned choices define them and will only confine them; yet, it is possible to accept life differently. We do not need to be flawless, but we should learn to see the bright spots in our blemished golds and be encouraged to make the most of our existence.

There is a need to have an app that can fulfill the needs, But, Carely aspires to be your first choice out of the rest.

Carely helps you to personalize your health conditions and analyses the data using Carely AI to help you prioritize your health behavior and maintain it in a long stretch.
Other than finding the right matches for your dining experience, the holistic experience is enough to live healthily. Given that sense of human interaction, Carely features table booking with virtual assistance to justify the ease of use. Recommending better choices of food in restaurants according to your health code is what Carely wants to take care of highly after you’re done with table confirmation.
Along with, Carely wants you to trust in and let you try different recipes to learn more about nutrients as you should in order to know your body in a better way. Given challenges that make you want to cook for yourself at home.

What happens when Carely helps in building a whole new community?
Carely is a complete ecosystem when all of Carely’s users come together and play the role of ‘give and take’ to grow together.
Isn’t it an incredible feeling of knowing someone who is as relatable as you and there’s a possibility to learn from each other’s flaws? Community is what makes the social circuit work and there’s no loss in joining one, because, uniting together only makes things better and easy to live a purposeful life.

Carely is a changemaker and becoming a part of change is going to be a process.