The Nestlé Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, and GE Global Research, the General Electric’s centralized research and development organization, have partnered to scientifically assess associations between body composition, metabolic status, diet and lifestyle habits.

Nestlé scientists will use GE Healthcare’s Lunar iDXA system to measure subjects’ body fat, muscle and bone mineral density, extending beyond the limited measures of body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip-ratio. Researchers will study the correlations between lifestyle habits, body composition measurements and metabolic data to better understand the biological drivers of individuals’ metabolism and health, according to GE.

The results will provide direction for the development of non-invasive, rapid, precise and accurate assessment tools for clinicians to evaluate the impact of nutritional interventions on metabolic status and overall health. Additionally, this data will help researchers identify specific metabolic parameters that can potentially be improved via diet and lifestyle, according to Nestle.

“In the face of a worldwide obesity epidemic, providing better tools to track the functional benefits of weight management, nutrition and lifestyle has become an international healthcare priority,” said Mark Little, senior vice president and director, GE Global Research. “The use of GE’s diagnostic tools will provide Nestlé scientists with more information on how diet and lifestyle measures can be optimized to help people lead healthier lives and ultimately make healthcare systems more efficient by more effectively managing and treating obesity.”