Digital health technologies in obesity: trajectory, emerging hotspots, and future perspectives

Digital health technologies, including mobile applications, wearable devices, and artificial intelligence, have emerged as valuable platforms for addressing the global obesity epidemic. Despite a surge in academic output, the field lacks a macro-level comprehensive synthesis of its evolutionary logic, core research forces, and emerging frontiers.

Literature published between 2016 and 2026 was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases. Python was utilized for data cleaning, while descriptive statistical analyses were conducted using R., VOSviewer and CiteSpace were collaboratively employed to perform co-occurrence clustering, evaluate global collaboration networks, and conduct burst detection.

A total of 2,633 records were ultimately included. The field experienced a significant inflection point starting in 2021, with annual publication volume surging from 272 papers in 2021 to 564 papers in 2025. The United States (756 articles) and China (738 articles) are the primary contributors, with the United States acting as the central hub for global collaboration (centrality = 0.47). Tehran University of Medical Sciences is the most prolific institution (71 articles), whereas Harvard University occupies a critical bridging position (centrality = 0.18). Nutrients is the most active publishing venue (199 articles), and Obesity Reviews serves as a core foundational reference. High-frequency keywords are concentrated on physiological indicators and specific demographics, led by "adiposity" (110 occurrences), "adolescents" (102), and "blood pressure" (97). Keyword and reference burst analyses indicate a distinct shift in research focus: early research frequently cited macro-epidemiological data, whereas recent bursts from 2023 to 2026 highlight clinical translation, diagnostic test accuracy, and digital intervention evaluation.

The bibliometric data suggest that academic focus on digital technology in obesity management has structurally shifted from its use as a passive observational tool to its application as an active clinical intervention strategy. To translate these trends into clinical efficacy, future advancements will likely depend on overcoming the digital divide across varying income regions, developing artificial intelligence-driven precision algorithms, and establishing synergistic cardiometabolic management models alongside novel pharmacotherapies.