ChatGPT-4o for Weight Management: Comparison of Different Diet Models

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Dietary Planning

Background:

• AI tools like ChatGPT offer scalable dietary advice generation.
• Limited research exists on AI's ability to create tailored diet plans for weight management across different dietary models.
• Understanding AI's nutritional output for ketogenic and intermittent fasting diets is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the nutritional adequacy and variability of diet plans generated by ChatGPT-4o for weight management.
• To compare AI-generated diet plans with dietitian-created menus.
• To assess the consistency of AI-generated dietary recommendations over time.

Main Methods:

• ChatGPT-4o generated 54 diet menus for 18 individuals across varying weight categories and physical activity levels.
• Menus were analyzed for energy, macro-, and micronutrients using BeBiS nutritional analysis software.
• Diet variability was assessed via repeated prompts over three periods.

Main Results:

• AI-generated ketogenic diets were significantly higher in energy and saturated fat compared to other models.
• AI menus exhibited higher fat, saturated fat, and protein, with lower carbohydrate content than dietitian menus.
• Frequent micronutrient inadequacies (calcium, potassium, vitamin B1) and temporal inconsistencies were observed, especially in ketogenic and intermittent fasting diets.

Conclusions:

• ChatGPT-4o can generate basic dietary models but shows limitations in nutritional precision, consistency, and safety.
• AI-generated diets, particularly ketogenic and intermittent fasting, may not meet all micronutrient needs.
• Professional supervision is essential for AI-assisted nutrition planning to ensure safety and adequacy.