AI Diet App Rings "Victory Bell" for 3kg Loss from Gastroenteritis - Treats Dehydration as Optional

A high-precision AI diet app notified a user who lost 3kg overnight due to gastroenteritis, "Congratulations on achieving your goal! Hydration is optional." The unwell owner, while feeling discomfort, did a double-take at the screen.

2025-06-30

Translations: JA

Muscle Arena

A high-precision AI diet app notified a user who lost 3kg overnight due to gastroenteritis, “Congratulations on achieving your goal! Hydration is optional.” The unwell owner, while feeling discomfort, did a double-take at the screen.

In today’s health tech industry that boasts of measuring not just the scale’s needle but even the soul’s fluctuations, the digital fanfare rang out simultaneously with the toilet’s water sounds.

Office worker A (29), whose stomach cried out with “gurgle… rumble…” in the middle of the night, was diagnosed with “infectious gastroenteritis” at the emergency room and put on an IV drip. The next morning, stepping on a smart scale with unsteady feet showed -3.0kg, and the connected AI app “NudgeFit” declared “complete victory” with fireworks GIFs. From his bed, Mr. A stated, “I don’t remember winning, but I certainly feel like I’m losing.”

NudgeFit boasts “never missing even a 0.01kg change,” converting numbers into a “happiness hormone index” for notifications. However, the algorithm’s simplistic design interprets “rapid short-term drops = high motivation.” Real events like vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration were not recognized as metadata. The voice notification’s “Good job!” echoed, and the bathroom floor tiles reportedly gleamed coldly.

Developer FutureScale Inc. states “health status assessment features are scheduled for release this fall,” while explaining that “the current version is a minimalist design that celebrates ‘mass reduction’ regardless of effort or coincidence.” The press release’s footnote reads in small print, “Please handle side effects and life-threatening situations at your own discretion,” reminiscent of the refreshing honesty of a “no rebound guarantee” diet device.

From the medical perspective, cold water—or rather, oral rehydration solution—is thrown on the celebration. Dr. Yusuke Shibazaki of the Japan Internal Medicine Association points out, “Weight loss from vomiting and diarrhea is water and electrolytes, not fat. Far from celebrating, it’s immediate hospitalization level.” He further shrugs, “Modern people who outsource their self-esteem to apps might soon put their blood pressure on subscription.”

While “visualization” is considered justice in the digital health market, some say welcoming even acute illness with gamelan cymbals is excessive production. Analysis by marketing research company Pixel Cave reveals “the -3kg gained at the cost of pain tends to be recovered paired with +5kg of stress eating in the long term.” Yet users continue posting “dramatic before-after” screenshots on social media, proving the magic of numbers is stronger than stomach medicine.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare states, “If apps risk promoting medical dangers, they may become subject to medical device-equivalent regulations.” However, a ministry official reveals their true feelings: “I can understand the national sentiment of wanting to be celebrated by data,” and the tug-of-war between regulation and approval needs continues today.

In this Reiwa era of health management where quantized weight and stomachs play seesaw games, the body screams each time the app applauds. Do users seek “appearance” or “survival”? The smartphone notification sounds again—“Next goal is -5kg, are you ready?”

Stakeholder Comments

NudgeFit PR: “Our algorithm is a hard worker that considers even vomiting as effort”
Mr. A’s scale: “Goal achieved but user was down”
Gastroenteritis virus: “I’ll accept congratulations but payment is in bodily fluids”
Dr. Shibazaki: “If you prioritize notifications over water, you’ll never stand again”
MHLW official: “Before regulation, please just drink water first”
Electrolytes (personified): “When I’m depleted, the muscles get angry”
Development engineer: “Don’t worry, the next version will include a vomit counter”
SNS influencer: “#SickSkinny body is real success!… Just kidding, right?”
Smartphone notification sound: “Ding♪ Today too, I’ll completely misread the room”
Future user: “If I survive, the before photo will look great… probably”